


Swipe Right

by Musicera



Series: Swipe Right [2]
Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Lemon, Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-31
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-16 01:18:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 52
Words: 144,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14153541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Musicera/pseuds/Musicera
Summary: While idly searching through Finder one evening, Lucy accidentally swipes right on a picture of Laxus Dreyar and quickly finds herself swept up in this man. But Laxus' plans for the Guild put her at a crossroads that will test her strength in more ways than one.





	1. Swipe Right

"No, no, definitely no," the blonde sighed as she swiped left at each picture on her Lphone. Lucy was laying face down, sprawled out on her pink comforter, absently scrolling through "Finder." "I swear it's like there are no eligible guys in Fiore," she lamented to herself as she continued swiping left. Since she'd joined the Guild a few months back, she'd pretty much struck out in the love department. But as she swiped to the next picture she almost dropped her phone in surprise, "What the—Laxus?!"

Sure enough, a photo of Laxus Dreyar had appeared on her phone. There was no mistaking the hulking blond—a bit of his tribal tattoo peaking through his shirt, that sexy smirk he wore everyday coupled with his spiked hair. Lucy stared into the man's storm gray eyes. "Damn," she whispered aloud. "I bet he would be able to deliver just what I needed." She sighed, rolling onto her back, holding the phone up above her head. "But he's in the Guild. I don't want that type of drama," she reasoned with herself.

She pulled the phone down to her chest and heaved a heavy breath. "I can't. I know it would be _so_ good, but it would also be so wrong." Lifting up her phone, she made up her mind to swipe left and stared in horror at the screen.

"It's a match!"

"What the fuck?!" Lucy panicked. "I must have touched the screen by accident. Oh, this is bad!" The girl paused for a minute. "But wait, that means that _he_ swiped right too." She paused again before continuing her panic, "oh this is so bad!"

A notification from her phone drew Lucy's attention away from her distress. "Laxus has sent you a message."

The girl squeaked before sprawling herself back out on the bed. Holding her phone above her again she tried to reason her way through the problem. "Maybe I should just ignore it… _and_ him. Act like I don't know what he's talking about if he asks me. He's never said anything to me before, after all." She stared at the notification and sighed. "That is so immature. I'll just tell him the truth—or something."

The blonde winced as she swiped to open the message.

"Never thought you were the type," his message read.

Lucy bristled, typing her response before she had a chance to think it over. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Relax. You doing anything tonight?"

Lucy looked at the clock. It was nearing on seven on a Saturday evening and she had nothing planned. She debated whether or not to tell him the truth. "It's not like this is going anywhere," she reasoned with herself. "No sense in lying to him."

"Not really, why?"

"Meet me at Bartab, off the central path. 9pm. "

"Why there?" Lucy had been to this place. On weekends, it got intense. They played the music so loud that you could barely talk to the person sitting right next to you. She'd gone a couple of times with Cana, but never felt like it was really her scene.

"Just do it. And I'm guessing you already know I look as good in real life as I do in my picture."

"Fine," she relied, before adding, "cocky bastard." She just knew Laxus was smirking on the other end.

. . .

By the time nine o'clock rolled around, Lucy had tried on nearly every outfit in her closet but finally settled on a bright pink halter with her black slitted skirt and white belt. She didn't want to overdo it but she didn't want to look like a slob either. Her boots clicked against the paver stones as she took her final steps to the club. The music was already pouring out into the street and she looked up at the apartments nearby, wondering how the people ever got any sleep on the weekends.

"Hey blondie," she heard a voice say to her left. Whirling around she caught site of Laxus, leaning against the side of the building, away from everyone waiting in line. Lucy's breath caught in her throat as she took him in. He looked stunning in his purple silk shirt and dark slacks.

She swallowed hard before responding. "Hey yourself," she said as she walked over to him.

The man pushed himself off the wall to meet her. His tall figure towered over her and Lucy had to remind herself that nothing was happening tonight. She was just getting to know a member of the Guild better and explain to him that she had a rule against seeing anyone in the Guild. "Even if they're absolutely mouthwatering and I haven't been laid in months," she argued with herself silently.

Laxus quirked a brow at her far-off look. "Follow me," he gruffed, turning on his heel. Lucy squeaked but fell into line behind him as they walked past the dozens of people waiting to get in at the door. Laxus walked right up to the front of the line, nodded to the bouncer and Lucy watched in amazement as the man unhooked the rope line to let him pass. Lucy attempted to follow behind but the man lowered the rope. The bouncer's hand reached out to grab her but before Lucy even knew what had happened, Laxus had turned around and had his hand on the man's arm. "She's with me," he paused, "so don't touch her," he added in a somewhat menacing tone.

The bouncer looked visibly shaken. He nodded and apologized, lifting the rope for Lucy to pass. Laxus grabbed her firmly by the wrist and pulled her alongside him, swinging his arm over her shoulders. "Stay close to me, okay?" he said, not breaking his stride.

"Oh, ok," Lucy hesitated in responding. This is why she stayed away from these sorts of places—even if it meant she would spend Saturday evenings alone. She walked with the hulking blond, being led through the crowd towards the raised VIP section. Lucy heard Laxus' name called a few times over the music but he just waived it off and continued his path towards the upper level.

The bouncer watching the VIP level immediately recognized him and let him through. Laxus nodded to the man before asking, "Empty like I said, right?"

The bouncer nodded before saying, "Yes, sir. As soon as we got your text, we cleared everyone out."

"Good," Laxus said. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a bill and placed it in the bouncer's hand. "No one comes up here." The man grinned and nodded as Laxus led Lucy to the furthest table in the back.

Lucy looked around as they walked. Anytime she came here with the girls, they never spent the money to go into the VIP area. From what she heard, it was exorbitantly expensive and the bouncers got picky about who they let up here. Each table had a series of semicircle couches around it and the ones towards the back were fairly private. Lucy breathed a sigh of relief as she realized the music didn't carry quite so well into this section. At least she'd be able to explain to the man about the misunderstanding without screaming it at him.

When they finally got to their destination, Laxus slid into the cushions first, reaching his hand out to help her down. Lucy took his hand but internally chided herself, "be careful, Lucy! He is a charmer. Remember why you're here!" Trying to follow her own advice, she attempted to leave sufficient room between her and the man, so at least she could think straight without smelling his amazing cologne. But Laxus had other ideas. With his hand still holding hers, he pulled her towards him so that the girl lost her balance and went crashing into his chest.

Laxus let out a booming laugh as Lucy bristled, prying herself away from the player. "There's plenty of time for that, blondie," he smirked, winking at her.

Lucy knew how to play this game. She straightened herself in her seat, a little closer to the man that she had originally intended before quipping back, "I wasn't aware that you were so desperate for company you had to force yourself on girls, Laxus."

Laxus chuckled and Lucy bit her tongue, trying not to think of how sexy the sound was. "I've definitely never been called desperate before."

"Anyways, Laxus," Lucy began, gearing herself up to explain to the man the situation in the nicest way possible before she got too overwhelmed by how amazing his hair looked slightly longer and spiked high the way it was.

"Uh, oh," the man gave her an odd look. "Why so serious, Blondie? I thought we were here to have a little fun."

"That's just the thing-," Lucy began before he cut her off.

"What do you think about the place? Do you like it?" he asked, looking out over the club.

Lucy hesitated. "Uhh, sure. Why do you ask?"

Laxus smirked, "'Cause I own it."

"You what?!" Lucy exclaimed, completely losing sight of what she originally meant to talk to the man about. "I don't believe you."

"Believe me, don't believe me. Doesn't make it any less true," the man responded.

Lucy stared at him wide-eyed. "But how could you afford a place like this? You're not that old, right?"

Laxus lifted the corner of his mouth in a crooked grin. "S-class missions pay really well, blondie. At a certain point, you run out of places to put your money," he hesitated, "and no—I'm not that old, thanks for noticing."

Lucy rolled her eyes, trying to get herself back on track, but Laxus beat her to the punch. "So, let's talk about how Little Miss Light of Fairy Tail was on Finder, and if my old ass memory serves me, " he said with a wink, "looking for a good time, no less."

"Yeah well, I have needs too you know," Lucy huffed, crossing her arms at being called out.

Laxus leaned in before whispering in her ear, "Oh, I don't doubt that." Lucy shuddered as his check pressed against hers and she felt his hot breath pass against her skin. "Is that why you swiped right on my photo?" he continued before pulling back.

Lucy gasped, trying to grasp at words floating around in her head to form a coherent sentence. "No, I," she stumbled, "It was an accident," she finally managed to get out.

Laxus frowned slightly before saying, "Well it wasn't an accident on my end."

Lucy looked at him, stunned. She thought maybe he was just trying to mess with her originally. "But Laxus, we're in the same Guild. Isn't there a rule about hook-ups in the Guild."?

Laxus genuinely laughed. "Yeah, there's a rule. The rule is that everyone does it."

The blonde furrowed her brow. "How would you know—aside from your own hookups, that is," she added when the man immediately opened his mouth to speak.

Laxus leaned in to face Lucy better, placing his elbow on the back of the cushion. "I just know."

"Ok, well if you have all the secrets, then why don't you tell them to me," Lucy said, thinking she would catch him at his own game.

The man just shrugged, "what do you want to know?"

Lucy smirked. She was pretty sure that Laxus didn't know how close her and Cana were and how Cana told her about all of her exploits. She was sure to catch him in this trap, she thought. "Who's the last person Cana was with?"

"Slept with or just hooked up with?" Laxus clarified, looking bored.

"Both," Lucy replied.

The blond sighed, "The last person Cana slept with was Elfman, about two weeks ago. The last person Cana hooked up with was Mira." Laxus smirked at how Lucy had quite literally dropped her jaw. "They were well-past drunk," the man added.

"How did you-?" Lucy couldn't believe it! Cana hadn't told anyone else about Mira. Not that she had anything against hooking up with the silver-beauty, but the two didn't want it floating around the Guild that if you got them drunk enough, it might happen. There were enough pervy men in the Guild to make even Cana shudder at that thought. "What else?" Lucy said in an excited voice, inching closer to the man.

Laxus looked down at her and smirked. "Well, Natsu's been hooking up with Laki," he paused to let it sink in before adding, "and so has Gray, but neither of them know about the other."

"Oh, my, fucking, god," Lucy said, pausing between each word.

"What about Loke?" Lucy asked. "He's got to be all over the place."

Laxus winced internally. "He doesn't mess around with anyone at the Guild," he had to respond.

"See! I knew there was a rule," Lucy said, crossing her arms across her chest.

Laxus rubbed the back of his neck, trying to tread lightly. "I wouldn't use him as the example, blondie. Besides, he gets around plenty in town."

Lucy turned to look up at the man. "Like you?" she said with a smirk, but also genuinely interested for some reason.

Laxus just looked out over the sea of people, "I do all right." The blond turned to look at the girl. She really was gorgeous and he'd be lying if he said he hadn't fantasized about having her the moment she joined the guild. "Let's talk about you and your needs. How long ago was your last time," Laxus took a deep breath, taking in her scent and smirking as he noted the subtle hint of her arousal. "I'd say at least two months. Am I right?"

"What? How did you-? I mean none of your business," Lucy huffed.

"But I want it to be my business," Laxus said smoothly, invading the girl's space again. "Tell me, Lucy, was it _really_ an accident?"

Laxus was dangerously close to her and the scent of his cologne had her brain short circuiting. She tried to put words together but the best she could come up with was, "I wanted to but—."

Laxus' lips pressing against her own cut her off.


	2. It's a Match

"Seriously, when did fucking women get old?" Laxus sighed to himself as the woman in front of him pleasured herself on his cock. "Never fucked her before, nice tits, nice body, there's no reason I shouldn't be thoroughly enjoying myself," the man thought to himself as the woman moaned her release.

"Oh, Laxus, you're such a beast," the brunette sighed, sliding off his lap and laying out on the bed. The blond grunted, grabbing her by the hips and turning her over. He pushed into her from behind and she screamed at the intrusion. He wasn't gentle with her as he pounded into her tight body harshly, seeking his own release.

It'd been like this for a while. No matter what woman's bed he landed in, he just wasn't feeling satisfied. Sex still felt great and he needed the release but, the whole experience was getting boring. Every woman wanted it the same way. He'd go down on her for ages but she'd only spend a hot minute licking his cock. "Pathetic," he groaned to himself.

The brunette was gasping as he continued to pound into her core. Her hand flew up to push against his hips to try and get him to slow down but he slapped it away, pushing her down into the bed by the back of her neck so that her moans were muffled by the sheets.

Laxus felt his impending release and he quickly pulled out of her, ripping the condom off and turning her over before spilling his seed onto her stomach. The man sighed as he looked over the woman. Mickey Chickentiger was a fairly new member of the Guild. She led the Young Mega-Death team and had earned the nickname "Demon Princess."

When Laxus had heard of her nickname he'd pursued her, thinking she might be able to light the fire in his groin he'd been missing. But she was just the same as all the other women he'd laid recently. Boring in bed and in life. He was so over it.

She looked up at him and frowned. "I didn't say you could do that," she pouted.

"That's just what a guy wants to hear after he goes off, sweetheart," Laxus responded in a monotone voice.

The girl huffed before climbing out of the bed to clean up in her bathroom. Laxus looked around the room for his clothing. He suddenly felt stifled by the place. As he pulled one pant leg on, the girl came out of the bathroom. "You're leaving already?" she asked in a harsh tone.

Laxus winced. She was going to be a problem, he could tell already. "Yeah, I've got a thing. Urgent," he responded flatly. "Take the hint, woman," he thought to himself.

"Did you want me to go with you?" she asked hopefully.

Laxus shrugged on his tan patterned shirt over his maroon pants. He shook his head, "No thanks. It's personal."

"Well," Mickey hesitated, "will I at least see you at the Guild?"

Laxus sighed. He'd been clear with the girl when he first propositioned her. He wasn't looking for anything serious—just a hookup. Pleasure only, no strings. She had readily agreed as she kissed him back, but here he was and there she was, trying to sew threads into him. He walked towards the girl and put his hand against her cheek. She smiled hopefully before he spoke, "Mickey, you're great and all but, I thought I was clear. I wasn't looking for anything more than a hookup. You said you were cool with that."

The girl shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "I just really enjoyed myself, you know? I'd be up for it again, if you are," she said with wide eyes.

"We'll see." Laxus winced as soon as the words left his mouth. He knew he should have been firmer with the girl. Saying that to her was just going to give her hope that something might develop and that was never going to happen. He sighed as he turned on his heel to leave.

His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out to look at the screen as he headed towards the door. "Congratulations, you've got a new match!" it read. He rolled his eyes as he clicked the notification to see what lame chick Finder paired him with. His steps faltered and he stood in the doorway, still for a moment.

"Is everything okay? Laxus?" Mickey asked, walking towards him, clearly trying to see the phone screen over his shoulder.

Laxus clicked the screen off quickly and the picture of the beautiful celestial mage disappeared as the screen went dark. "Nothing," he grunted. "I've gotta go though."

"Bye, Laxus!" Mickey said reaching her hand out but the man was already out the door, teleporting away with a clap of lightning that left a distinct black mark on the stoop where he'd stood.

Throwing the door open to his house, he kicked it closed behind him, tearing his clothes off as he walked up the stairs to his bedroom. He needed to shower—fast. He clicked his phone on again and the picture of Lucy Heartfilia lit up his screen. She was at the beach in nothing but a barely there white bikini. Her hands clasped behind her back, she was leaning slightly forward for the photo, a pouty smile on her face. Her long blonde hair was tied to the side of her head in a tail. Laxus got hard just looking at her.

"Oh, blondie, you don't know what you got yourself into." The man chuckled as he shed the last of his clothes in the bathroom before turning on the shower. He tapped a button and began writing her a message. "Never thought you were the type."

Her message came back almost instantly. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Laxus sighed. Girls could read shit into almost anything. "Relax." He hesitated before adding, "You doing anything tonight?" If he played his cards right, he knew he'd be able to bag this girl. He'd wanted her since the day he saw her walk into the Guild, all blonde and bubbly. There was something about her that drew him to her, beside her curvy as fuck body. But Lucy seemed innocent, or at he very least naïve. He'd have to be careful otherwise he was pretty sure he'd have her fucking team of idiots trying to knock down his door.

"Not really, why?" was her eventual response.

The man debated with what to say back. "What would get a girl like Lucy to relax?" he mused to himself. He quickly swiped back to look at her profile. He instantly noticed that in her bio, it said she was looking for "a good time." "Perfect," he smirked. "Meet me at Bartab, off the central path. 9pm."

"Why there?"

Laxus rolled his eyes. Why did women insist on asking so many questions? What happened to them just trusting men to show them a good time? "Just do it." Laxus caught a look at himself in the bathroom mirror and added, "And I'm guessing you already know I look as good in real life as I do in my picture."

"Fine. Cocky bastard."

"Damn right," Laxus laughed to himself, before stepping into the spray.

. . .

Around eight o'clock, Laxus texted his staff at the club, instructing them to clear out the VIP section. He wanted the area all to himself when he brought Lucy up there. He'd be lying if he said he hadn't fucked more than a few women in the VIP area. The back tables were pretty private and even when there were people up there, on more than one occasion he'd found a girl who wasn't shy about wanting him.

Some of the girls clearly thought that laying the owner would get them special treatment in the future. He never indulged them but he knew a few of his bouncers did in the hopes of getting laid themselves. Laxus never cared about that shit. If his guys got some on the side by showing favorites, more power to 'em. The club made more than enough money to turn a profit. Laxus wasn't going to quibble over a lost VIP charge here or there if it kept his guys happy.

He got the text back immediately saying that it was taken care of. If Laxus was a betting man, he'd bet that Lucy was not going to be the type to get frisky in public. That was fine. He'd have the section cleared out and take her all the way to the back. It was a tactic that usually worked for him.

Throwing on his purple silk shirt and dark slacks, he took an extra minute to run some gel through his blond locks so they would stand straighter. He grabbed a few extra bills out of his dresser, knowing he would need to make up for the VIP bouncer's lost tips.

By eight forty-five, he teleported himself to just outside the club. While many of the staff members knew he was a mage, he didn't like to make a spectacle of himself when he was at the business. So he'd often teleport a few blocks away to a quiet street on weekends so no one was startled by his entrance. As he rounded the corner he smirked as he saw the line starting to wrap around the side of the building. "Perfect," he thought. He loved seeing the club thrive. The noise, the lights, the bodies, everyone dancing and drinking their troubles away. It was absolutely his scene.

He nodded to the bouncer at the door as he walked past before leaning himself against the wall of the building, waiting for Lucy to arrive. As expected, at nine sharp, the blonde came into view. Laxus wasn't surprised she was wearing bright pink—it seemed to be her thing. He reveled in the clear excitement he felt when he looked over her body. She was wearing knee high black boots and a micro black skirt with slits at the sides. Further up, her bright pink halter stopped just above her navel and was doing its best to keep her breasts contained.

Laxus pushed off the wall to meet her, discreetly adjusting himself as he walked. "Hey blondie," he said in a low voice.

"Hey yourself," she replied, clearly trying to hide her nerves.

"Oh this is going to be too easy," Laxus smirked to himself as he met her near the entrance. "Follow me," he said before turning to walk into the club. He almost laughed out loud when he heard her squeak behind him. As he passed through the entrance, he turned when he felt her presence fall behind him. Anger rose up in his chest as he watched one of his guys move to put a hand on the blonde. "She's with me," he said, reaching out to stop his movements. A low growl left his mouth unintentionally, "so don't touch her."

The words surprised even Laxus, but he'd said them. He'd never been jealous over any of the girls he brought to this club—over any girl he'd ever dated for the most part. He needed to check himself. He grabbed Lucy and brought her close to him, "Stay close to me, okay?" he said as he walked her through the club.

Lucy responded in agreement as they headed towards the VIP section. He heard patrons calling out his name as he stepped across the space. He just waived them off, not in the mood for dealing with drunks when he had Lucy pressed up against him the way he did.

When they finally reached the top of the stairs, Laxus talked with his man there for a few seconds, confirming that everything was set. Giving him a few bills that would more than make up for his lost tips for the evening, he led Lucy all the way to the back table. He watched the blonde look around in awe at the place; this was just too easy.

Laxus loved toying with women. They were so easy to mess with and it was a favorite past time of his. So when Lucy went to sit down, clearly further away from him than he preferred, all it took was one small tug to make her and her oversized chest barrel into him. He laughed as she bristled and chuckled at her quick comeback.

The girl started to say something but Laxus cut her off, "What do you think of the place? Do you like it?" He looked straight ahead as he posed her the question. It was strange, for some reason he really did want the little blonde to approve of his business. "Check yourself, Dreyar," he chided himself.

He laughed when he had to explain how he'd bought the place to the girl. "How could someone so mature be so naïve?" he thought to himself. He finally posed the question that had been bugging him since he got the notification in Mickey's place. "So, let's talk about how Little Miss Light of Fairy Tail was on Finder, and looking for a good time, no less," he added.

Lucy huffed, crossing her arms under her chest. The man nearly groaned at the way her breasts began to spill out of her top. Was she doing this on purpose? "I have needs too you know."

"Oh, fuck me, yes," Laxus smirked to himself. "I don't doubt that," he said, leaning in, reveling in the way Lucy's body responded to his proximity. "Is that why you swiped right?"

"It was an accident," she finally said, much to Laxus' chagrin.

The words left his mouth before he had a chance to stop himself, "Well it wasn't an accident on my end." The girl looked at him stunned, before she started rattling on about some rule about not fucking Guildmates.

"Yeah, sure, the rule is, is that everyone does it," Laxus scoffed. With his heightened senses, he knew more about the relationships in the Guild than the ones living them. And Lucy was eating it up. Laxus didn't want to give away what he carried inside him—he planned on using that surprise at a later date. But for now, if it made the blonde relax about this weird prohibition she had in her head, he'd indulge her if it made getting into her body any easier.

Laxus was finally able to steer the conversation back to her. He could tell that she was aroused—he could smell it on her. And he knew it had been a while since she'd last been with a man—she wasn't carrying any distinct smells but her own. And god damn it if he didn't love the way she smelled. "She must douse herself in fucking perfume cause her scent is so strong, but fuck me if I don't love it," he mused to himself.

Her sweet scent mixed with her obvious arousal was starting to cloud his senses. It was all he could do to try and hold a conversation while images of him plunging into her tight core played in the front of his brain.

So the moment she said that she wanted him—he was pretty sure that's what she said—he couldn't hold himself back any more. He'd grabbed the girl by the waist and drew her to him as he smashed his lips against her pouty mouth. His hands clenched against her lower back, edging closer to her backside and he felt his manhood immediately spring to life. The small whimper he heard crawl up her throat was all he needed to hear. He had a feeling laying Lucy Heartfilia was exactly what he needed to get over this fucking dry spell.


	3. Interruptions

Laxus' lips pressing against her own cut her off. She tried to fight it, knew she shouldn't get involved with the lightning mage but damn it if everything about him wasn't pulling her to him. His scent was overwhelming and she melted into the feeling of his lips against hers. She began kissing him back and Laxus groaned in appreciation.

His large hand snaked its way around her waist, splaying across her back and pulling her closer to him. His kiss was all consuming and within minutes she found herself completely out of breath but not wanting to stop for air. Laxus pulled away first, breathing heavily. He looked at the blonde next to him, her lips pouty from his abuse and his manhood raged.

For some reason, he couldn't stay away from this girl. Ever since she walked into the Guild with that idiot flamebrain, he'd followed her movements from his seat on the second floor. Lucy looked at him with half-lidded eyes; her brown eyes clouded over by lust. Laxus grabbed her arm firmly, pulling her toward and on top of him.

Every logical fiber of her being was screaming at Lucy to walk away from this man now while she still had the ability to think. But she couldn't bring herself to do it. She'd never been kissed the way he kissed her; so full of lust and need. Something about this man sparked a deep sense of arousal in her that she'd never felt with any of her previous partners and she felt too weak to walk away from it.

So instead, she followed Laxus' rough movements and swung her leg over his lap. Gripping his solid shoulders she lowered her head to kiss him again as his hands started to feel their way up the back of her top.

Lucy was far past feeling shy at this point and she rocked her hips so their cores could grind against each other. She moaned into his kiss as she felt his stiffened manhood against her weeping flower.

Every inch of skin that he touched on her back made her shiver that much more and she gasped as his tongue forced his way into her mouth. She swirled her own against his, relishing in the flavor that was the lightning mage. She pulled back for much needed air and couldn't help but shiver as Laxus groaned, "God you taste amazing."

The man didn't give her much time to recover, reaching his hands higher he began to undo the clasp of her top around her neck. Lucy gasped, holding her top against her body as the bits of material meant to cover her bountiful chest fell down from Laxus' efforts. "Laxus!" she hissed at him. "Someone will see."

Laxus blinked at her a few times, trying to clear the haze of lust that had overtaken him. He'd never worried about putting on a show with other women he happened to bring up to the VIP area in the past, but for some reason, another man looking at Lucy's tits didn't sit well with him. Lucy reached up to tie the material ends in a knot around her neck. Laxus put his hands up in surrender, "over the clothes, promise," he said with a grin.

Lucy couldn't help but smile but before they had the chance to dive back into one another, yelling from across the room broke their moment. "You don't understand, I have to talk to him," a shrill voice was saying. Lucy could hear the bouncer try and explain that the area was off limits, but the woman was agitated and wouldn't listen.

"I don't care, there he is, Laxus!" she yelled, rushing away from the bouncer, running towards the pair.

"Do you know her?" Lucy said, still straddling the hulking blond.

"Oh, fuck," the man said, bringing his hand up to slide it down his face.

The bouncer ran up to the scene, slightly out of breath and Laxus gave him a hard stare. He gulped before saying, "I'm sorry, sir. I didn't expect her to run away like that."

Laxus waived him off and the bouncer stepped back sheepishly. "What do you want, Mickey?" Laxus asked in an annoyed tone.

Lucy looked uncertainly at the woman. Despite the agitated look on her face, she was quite pretty. Her light brown hair fell in gentle waves across her shoulders and she was wearing a black dress that hugged her body just right. Lucy was fairly new to the Guild, but she was pretty sure this woman was a member.

"What do I want?" Mickey put her hands on her hips and tilted forward. "What I want is to know why just a few hours ago you were fucking me and here you are, with some bimbo?"

Lucy was already way past embarrassed at this point. She tried to push off Laxus so that she could at least get off his lap but the man's grip on her hips tightened, keeping her there. "Mickey, I told you, I wasn't looking for anything serious. What I do with my own time is my own damn business," Laxus replied in an increasingly irate tone.

"You're an asshole, you know that?" Mickey said, without budging from her place.

Laxus smirked, giving the shell-shocked Lucy a wink. "Yes, I do."

Mickey made an annoyed sound before turning her attention to Lucy. "I know you. You're that blonde bitch that just joined the Guild, aren't you?"

Laxus' menacing growl could be heard even over the loud music. His voice dropped low and before Lucy had the chance to respond, he spoke. "Call her that again, I fucking dare you."

Mickey stood her ground. "You don't fucking scare me, lightning man. She's a whore—stealing a man from another woman—" but Mickey didn't have the chance to finish. Laxus had placed Lucy next to him and was making threatening moves towards her.

When Lucy finally realized that he really looked like he was going to hurt the woman, she grabbed his hand, stopping him from moving towards the girl any further. "Laxus," she said meekly. "Don't, it's not worth it."

Laxus' movements stalled before he looked down at the girl. Her brown eyes were wide with fright and he found his heart rate slowing just by looking at her. He pulled on Lucy's hand so that she was hoisted into a standing position before he slung his arm around her shoulder. "Get out of here, Mickey. No one needs your drama," he said before turning to press a chaste kiss on Lucy's temple.

Mickey couldn't believe what she was seeing. How was it that this blonde bimbo had such control over the lightning mage already? She knew Laxus for some time, he was always hot headed, and when he got angry, no one was ever able to calm him down, not even his team. And then that kiss, it was almost—affectionate. "Whatever," Mickey said, turning on her heel. "You weren't that good of a lay anyways," she yelled over her shoulder as she walked down the stairs, the bouncer following her, moving away from the clearly still annoyed Laxus.

Laxus just smirked, "Even she couldn't say that with a straight face." He turned back to Lucy, intent on picking up where they'd left off, but found the girl pulling back from him.

"Look, Laxus," she said unsurely.

"Oh fuck," the man thought.

"This is kinda the stuff I wanted to avoid. Maybe it's a good thing that she interrupted us," Lucy said, inching her way towards the stairs.

"FUCK!" Laxus thought internally. "Damn that woman and her shit."

"Lucy, baby," he said as smoothly as possible, taking steps towards her. When he finally reached her, he placed his warm hand around the back of her neck and tilted her face to look up at him, "there's no issue. I'm here with you, not her."

But the haze of lust had cleared from Lucy's mind and she was finally able to think straight. She pulled herself out of his grip once more, inching further towards the exit. "Right, but, she's a Guild member," she hesitated, "and you're a Guild member—and I'm a Guild member. Maybe it's just best if we stay friends. Good night, Laxus," she said quickly before pulling away and hurrying down the stairs.

Laxus cringed. There was no way he was going to be able to just be friends with this woman. Not after he had had a taste of her the way he had. No way. "Lucy," he called after her, but the girl was already lost in the sea of people dancing to the pulsing music. When she finally reached the front door and stepped outside, she breathed in the cool night air. She was thankful that she had made it out of there before she fell back under the man's very real spell.

She hurried her steps to her apartment, not trusting herself not to turn around and climb right back onto the stormy-eyed brute of a man. The only way she could control her lust was by replaying the look of disgust on Mickey's face when she looked at her. She didn't want any Guildmember thinking of her that way.

Back at the club, Laxus audibly growled when he reached the front door. Lucy was gone, leaving her sweet scent of arousal lingering in the cool night air. The man was angry—here he was, finally about to get the lay of his life and damn Mickey had to come and mess it up. "Fucking women and their shit," he spat. He pulled his phone out of his pocket and quickly opened a new message. "Need a favor—address of L. Heartfilia."

Within sixty seconds a response came back, "Five blocks away from your location. 32 Canal Street, second floor." Laxus tucked the phone back into his pocket before rounding the corner. A large flash of lightning came down from the sky as he teleported himself to the location. When he reached her apartment building, he sniffed the air. "Good, she hasn't gotten here yet." He leaned against the wall, waiting for her arrival, just like earlier in the evening.

Lucy was only a block away from her apartment, walking along the edge of the canal like she always did. With each step she took, she congratulated herself for being able to walk away from the pull that was Laxus Dreyar. "Better women haven't managed," she said aloud, thinking no one was around.

She startled as she heard a chuckle from near her apartment. "And just what have better women managed?" That was Laxus voice. Lucy turned towards the sound and instantly lost her balance.

"Oh fuck, oh fuck," she nearly screamed as she felt herself barreling towards the cold water. She always laughed those guys off when they said to be careful but here she was, about to fall into the canal, in front of Laxus, no less. She braced herself for the impact, but it never came. A hand reached out and caught her by the arm, pulling her into a warm body. She was panting heavily as she tried to catch her breath, but she found herself gulping down the strong scent of the lightning mage.

Laxus led her away from the canal, holding her tight against his body. When the girl had finally calmed down, he lifted her chin up so she was looking into his stormy eyes.

Lucy knew she was getting pulled in again but she couldn't help but let him kiss her, his lips felt too damn good against her own. "I want you," be breathed against her skin and she visibly shivered. "It seems like you want me too," he whispered.

Lucy's core ached. She did want this man. For some unknown reason, his cocky son-of-a-bitch attitude was really turning her on and she'd be lying if she said she hadn't planned to fuck his brains out before Mickey showed up. "Laxus, I don't think—" but his lips cut her words off once more.

"Don't think, Lucy. Just feel." His hot breath against her ear made her core weep and her mind was once again taken over by the man's intoxicating smell.

The blonde hummed her approval as Laxus' hands reached up to pull her closer to his warm body. "Just one night," she said softly, "no repeats."

But Laxus didn't respond, he was too busy drinking in everything about the woman currently in his arms.


	4. One Night

"Come upstairs?" Lucy managed to say between heated kisses. The couple was lucky it was so late at night, otherwise they would have been putting on quite a show.

Laxus had planned to take her back to his place, or at least the club, so they wouldn't have to worry about neighbors, but he couldn't imagine breaking away from her lips long enough to transport them anywhere at the moment. He hummed his approval, swiping his tongue against her bottom lip, reveling in the moan that crawled up her throat.

Lucy managed to break away enough to grab the man by the hand and open the door to her building. But the moment she crossed the threshold, Laxus was on her, pressing her against the wall with his solid body. He licked her lower lip again, asking her for entrance, but when she didn't open her mouth immediately, he sucked the skin into his mouth and bit down slightly. Her gasp gave him the invitation he needed to invade her mouth, swirling his tongue against her own, relishing the taste of the blonde.

"Laxus!" she pushed against him as he tried to continue their make-out session. He didn't respond, he just wanted to taste more of this woman. "This isn't my apartment!" she managed to say between labored breaths.

The haze cleared briefly from Laxus' mind and he looked around, realizing they were only in an entranceway with a staircase going up the middle. Lucy used the opportunity to break away, running up the stairs. Laxus smirked, giving chase and grabbing her ass at the top of the stairs as his reward.

Lucy was fumbling with her keys as the blond started to feel the sides of her body. "Laxus," she protested lightly. He hummed his response, not really listening to what the girl was saying. "I can't concentrate when you touch me like that!"

"Good," was all Laxus managed to respond. Finally Lucy found the right key and pushed the door open. The two fell through, Laxus grabbing her and spinning her around, kicking the door closed behind him.

His lips pressed against hers once more and he breathed in her scent. Her normal scent was intoxicating, but something was off—way off. The lust haze cleared instantly and Laxus pulled back, sniffing the air. "Laxus?" Lucy said, clearly confused.

But Laxus didn't pay her any mind, he just continued to wander through her apartment. When he finally reached the bed, he knew why her scent was off. There he was—Natsu—completely passed out asleep. A deep growl reverberated throughout the apartment and the lightning mage reached forward, grabbing a tuft of pink hair.

"Laxus!" Lucy squeaked as she saw what was happening. Ever since she'd joined the Guild, Natsu had made pretty frequent appearances at her apartment, but this was the first time she'd come home to him like this.

"What the _fuck_ are you doing here?" he spat at Natsu.

Lucy was a little angry with her friend, as well. She had finally decided to give herself this evening and now a second person was ruining it. "Natsu!" Lucy huffed, hands on her hips.

"What the? Laxus? What are you doing in Luce's apartment?" Natsu said, slowly waking up from his slumber.

Laxus was instantly irritated at how friendly Natsu seemed to be with Lucy, even calling her by a nickname. "You know what?" Laxus said, throwing the fire mage down on the bed, "I don't even care. Come on, Lucy." Laxus grabbed her wrist firmly and pulled her out of her apartment, down the stairs and back into the street.

"Laxus, there's nothing—" but the man cut her off.

"Don't care," he said, pulling her in tight. "I just want you. No more interruptions. Hold on tight," he said before Lucy felt the ground drop out from underneath her. She tried to scream but nothing came out. Then within an instant, she felt solid ground beneath her feet again. She wobbled a bit as Laxus released his grip on her but found her balance soon enough.

"What the heck? Where are we?" she exclaimed, looking around. Her eyes finally met the lightning mage's and he was smirking at her.

"We teleported over to my place," he said, as if it were no big deal.

"Teleported?" Lucy exclaimed. "I didn't know you could do that?" She really was impressed. This man seemed to have immense power she couldn't even fathom.

"Come on," he said, opening the front door. "No one will interrupt us now."

Lucy looked up at the house in front of her. It stood alone in a small clearing in the woods. They must have been outside of Magnolia because she didn't recognize what she saw. The house itself was beautiful. It was extremely modern looking, with large glass windows that overlooked the scenery. As she walked through the door she kicked her shoes off. The room opened up to a large living room with neat leather couches and large rugs covering the floor. "Laxus it's beautiful," she gasped, suddenly forgetting exactly why she was there.

Laxus took a moment to close the door before turning back to look at the blonde. He crept up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her body against his. She giggled lightly as he began pressing soft kisses into her shoulder, then moving up to the nape of her neck.

Lucy gasped as his kisses became more forceful, all but sucking portions of her skin into his mouth to torture them with his tongue. "Laxus," his name escaped her lips in response.

"I love it when you moan my name," his hot breath whispered against her skin, making her shiver. She tried to turn around in his arms but his grip tightened, preventing her from moving. One hand slowly moved up her body, stopping right beneath the underside of her breast. Lucy tensed in anticipation; she had wanted this man to really touch her all night, but she found herself having to wait longer. He moved his hand back down, reveling in the feeling of her shivering against him.

"Tell me what you want, Blondie," Laxus whispered against her ear before sucking a portion of her lobe into his mouth. All the pent up energy Lucy had been feeling all night went straight to her core with his actions.

She was far past being shy. She moaned her response, "I want you, Laxus. Whatever it is you want to give me, I can take it."

Something in Laxus broke when he heard the girl so clearly submit to him. He turned her around and pressed his lips against hers. He groaned as she moved her smooth lips against his and couldn't help but invade her mouth with his tongue.

Lucy's tongue slid against his own and she couldn't stop the moan of pleasure that crawled up her throat. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled the man against her body further, relishing the feeling of him completely dominating the kiss. Every time she breathed in, the scent of his strong cologne surrounded her, inviting her to fall further under this man's spell.

The hulking blond started to walk backwards, eventually pushing her up against a wall. One hand slid around the back of her neck while the other started to slowly travel down the side of her body. The feeling of his fingers finally brushing against her breast, even over her clothes, had Lucy dripping wet. She moaned loudly, which only seemed to spur the man on further. His hips ground into hers and Lucy could feel his rock hard member clearly through his trousers.

Laxus tore his lips away from the woman's, wanting to taste more of her body. Slowly he began pressing kisses into her neck, letting his tongue take in the taste of her as he traveled further south. Lucy stretched her neck out to give him a larger canvas and Laxus growled his appreciation.

"God, I love that," Lucy let out in a shaky breath.

"What? This?" Laxus asked, letting out another low growl, only serving to tighten the already strained cord inside Lucy's core. She could feel him smirk against her skin as his tongue drew lazy circles over her neck but she couldn't bring herself to care. He finally let go of the skin and nipped at it lightly with his teeth as Lucy sucked in a breath at the sensation.

He pulled back then to look at her. She could see his eyes shining against the dark of the room. His storm grey eyes were filled with such heat, it made Lucy feel powerful in a way she never had before. She pushed on his chest so that he fell back into the embrace of one of the sofas before she climbed on top of him, straddling him.

Rotating her hips forward, she rubber her core against his. The man beneath her growled, lunging forward to grab her bottom lip with her teeth harshly. Lucy continued to grind herself into the man, moaning into his mouth as their tongues swirled.

Finally, the man brought his hands up, letting them travel over her thighs and up her sides before finding their way under her shirt. Lucy lifted her arms so that he could remove her shirt. Her breasts bounced free as she wasn't wearing a bra and Laxus didn't waste a second, lunging in to taste her tips with his tongue. She sucked in a breath and let her head fall back as the man licked his around her peaks.

Laxus kept one hand firmly around Lucy's waist, holding her steady as she leaned back from the pleasure he was giving her. His other hand he let trail around her soft mounds, feeling the underside of the flesh and growing in arousal as she gasped at his touch.

The man's member was straining against his trousers and Lucy writhing on top of his lap was not helping the situation. Feeling like he couldn't wait any longer, he pushed Lucy forward, catching her and bringing her to the tufted rug softly. Lucy gasped at she suddenly felt like she was falling backwards but calmed as soon as she sensed the large man controlling her on the way down. She bit her swollen lower lip as Laxus stood above her. He seemed larger than life from this position and she couldn't wait to experience all that this man promised to be.

Laxus knew she was admiring the view and if it had been any other woman, he would have taken his time and tortured them further, removing his clothes slowly to build the tension. But with Lucy, he needed her now and he just couldn't wait. Lucy watched, pulling her skirt up and moving her hand to toy with her clit, as Laxus reached behind his head to pull his silk shirt off his body. As the offending garment lifted, each row of sculpted abs followed by his massive chest and shoulders were revealed. She was beyond wet.

Lucy watched, moving her hand faster now, as Laxus undid his belt. Lowering his trousers he revealed tight fitting black boxer briefs. "Oh no, he is _definitely_ not skipping leg day," Lucy thought to herself in anticipation. The sight combined with her own ministrations was almost too much. Lucy felt the coil inside of her tightening as her muscles began to twitch and contract. "Laxus," she gasped, as the man lowered himself to his knees. "I'm so close," she panted.

Laxus didn't respond with some cocky comment. Instead, he moved Lucy's hand aside and plunged his tongue into her depths. He indulged in her as if she was a fine wine, reveling in her flavor. Swirling his tongue around her entrance had Lucy moaning, trying to grasp at the carpet with her hands. He moved, sliding his tongue up her slit to flick her clit while his large fingers entered her, pumping her in rhythm.

Lucy nearly screamed when she felt Laxus' tongue on her center. She was already so close but his tongue on her folds felt simply amazing and what he was doing to her clit now had her careening towards her end. Her hands thread their way through his blond spikes and she moaned his name.

Laxus couldn't wait any longer. He lifted his head up and ordered, "Fucking come for me," before moving back down to suck her pearl into his mouth. His crude words combined with that action had Lucy at her end. She felt her muscles tense almost painfully before she was screaming his name and her release. Waves of pleasure rolled through her, spreading out to her fingertips as she breathed through her orgasm.

Watching her come had Laxus damn near at his end. He barely gave her any time to recover, not wanting her to come down from her high. Reaching back for his pants, he pulled a condom out and rolled it onto himself before thrusting into her wet heat. She was soaked from her orgasm and as he pushed into her, Lucy screamed his name yet again.

It felt so good—too good—to hear the blonde screaming his name like that. And Lucy's core felt better than anything Laxus could have imagined. As soon as he pushed into her, he felt like he was about to loose it and he'd only just begun. "Fuck, Lucy," he gasped, as he took a punishing pace with her, "you feel so good."

"Oh, fuck me as hard as you want, Laxus, you know I love it," Lucy managed to gasp between thrusts. His cock felt amazing as it moved in and out of her, filling her up more than she'd ever experienced.

Lucy's crude response had Laxus' balls drawing up far before he wanted. He breathed through it, wanting to enjoy the woman beneath him as much as possible, wanting to hold on and not let go until he damn well couldn't take it anymore. With each thrust, Lucy moaned, the noise bringing him closer and closer to his end.

Through the haze of lust and the fast movements of the man above her, Lucy cracked an eye open and met Laxus' storm gray gaze. His eyes were locked on hers and she saw something in his eyes she didn't think the brute of a man possessed. It startled her, but it also excited her. But the moment broke as Laxus shifted his position, pulling back to angle her hips higher on his cock and Lucy threw her head back in ecstasy as his member thrust against her most sensitive area.

New waves of pleasure spread throughout her body, building off of the high she already experienced before Laxus finally roared her name and let himself fall over that edge. He pulled Lucy's hips down onto his cock as firmly as possible, likely bruising her with his strength as his seed pumped out.

As the last of his seed left his body, so did his strength and he fell forward to lay down next to the woman as they both panted, trying to catch their breath. Lucy just laid there, breathing hard, still loving the feeling of Laxus' semi-erect cock inside of her. She closed her eyes tight, trying not to let the feelings of doubt that plagued her mind earlier make their way in.

Laxus was the first to speak. "That was amazing," he said in a daze. The words left his mouth before he realized he was saying them out loud. Laxus had always prided himself in his stamina, his ability to make woman come and hold himself at bay. However, with Lucy, he couldn't brag about that. The woman did something to him that absolutely broke his record. She had him ready to come before he even set himself into her. Sex with Lucy was easily his newfound addiction.

Lucy groaned before saying, "I bet you say that to all the girls." There it was—those feelings of doubt. She kicked herself for saying something like that right after she'd had the best sex of her life. She didn't want to ruin what she would likely use as material for many years to come when she was alone.

"No," Laxus said quietly, "I don't."

His words had such a feeling of sincerity to them—even a hint of sadness. Lucy couldn't help but roll over onto her side and meet his gaze. "Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"Don't be," Laxus said, meeting her gaze. The two locked eyes for a pregnant moment, simply basking in the afterglow of their activities—each of them trying to figure the other out.

As the moment grew, Lucy started to feel awkward. She was here in Laxus' house, laying nearly naked on his floor. Laxus was a notorious playboy. She was very clear at the beginning of the night—just once, no repeats. She figured that was the code Laxus lived by anyways.

Laxus watched the girl's turn from serenity to anxiety. As she tried to sit up, Laxus pulled her back down to him. "What's wrong?" he asked, actually concerned. He instantly began to worry that he had done something wrong.

"Nothing, I should just go," Lucy said, pulling away from the man. Laxus sat up, completely confused by the turn of events. Lucy started pulling her clothing on. Laxus just watched her, feeling completely conflicted about what to do. He'd never objected to a woman leaving after sex before but something about this didn't sit right. He hadn't gotten his fill of this woman yet—far from it.

By the time he turned his brain on to figure out that he needed to stop her, she was running out his front door.


	5. No Repeats

. . .

_By the time Laxus turned his brain on to figure out that he needed to stop her, he turned to see her running out his front door._

. . .

"Fuck, Lucy!" Laxus called after her but she was already out his front door. The girl looked around. She hadn't completely thought this through—she just felt like she needed to get out of that house as quickly as possible and she couldn't explain why. And now here she was, in the middle of the woods, presumably outside of Magnolia, not sure how to get back to her apartment. She had forgotten that Laxus teleported them here after their run in with Natsu.

She turned, hearing the lightning mage calling out her name. She slid behind a tree. If she could just hide from him long enough until he gave up looking for her, she could call Pyxis to help lead her home. "Found you," a hushed voice said over her shoulder.

Lucy screamed, turning with her leg swinging, ready to kick her unknown assailant. Laxus' thick hand gripped her calf firmly and she wobbled on one leg before she lost her balance. She squeaked as she started to fall but he finally let go of her leg to wrap his arms around her waist, preventing her fall. The blonde looked up, finally meeting Laxus' eyes and sighed in relief. "Jeez, Laxus, you scared me half to death," she said, trying to catch her breath.

"That's on you, blondie. You had to get crazy and run away? What the hell?" he said matter-of-factly.

Lucy pulled out of his grasp, unsure of what to say. She looked over him, looked at his glorious body and instantly felt herself getting wet again. That's when it hit her, "Laxus, why are you _naked?"_ she asked in disbelief.

The hulking blond merely shrugged. "It's not like you gave me much time to put on clothes before I had to chase after you. Like what you see?" he said with his signature smirk.

Lucy blushed. She knew it was ridiculous to blush given what they had just been doing not even an hour ago but she couldn't help it. "Whatever," she brushed his cocky comment aside. "Aren't you worried someone will see you?"

Laxus lifted his eyebrow. "Are you?" he paused. "We aren't getting jealous already are we Miss Heartfilia?"

Lucy scoffed. "Hardly."

Laxus couldn't help but feel a little deflated by her response but he didn't let it show. "Come on," he said, taking her hand, "I'm not done with you yet. You should have known better than to run after just one round."

Laxus started pulling her towards the house but Lucy resisted. "Laxus," she said uncertainly, "we agreed. Just once, no repeats."

"Bullshit," the male responded vehemently. Lucy stood shocked by his answer. Out of everyone she really thought that Laxus would be the first to invoke this policy. "We agreed to one night. Night's far from over," he replied, hauling her back towards the house.

"Laxus," Lucy said, stopping his movements again. Laxus looked up at the night sky to roll his eyes. "We can't be a thing, it would never work." Lucy couldn't wrap her head around what was going on with the big blond and she wanted to be clear about her intentions towards him.

Laxus winced internally but he brushed it off, not wanting to think about what it could all mean. "Blondie," he said, pulling her into his naked form, "I'm not looking for a relationship. But I _know_ how wet you get around me. How much you've been craving the touch of a man these past months," his words were hot against her ear. "So let me make you come enough times tonight to sate you for a good while. Hm?" he proposed.

His words coupled with the feel of his growing manhood pressing against her body had her core burning again. Her mouth suddenly felt dry and she licked her lips as she met Laxus' gaze. She knew she shouldn't but she let slip, "one night."

"One night," he repeated, grazing his teeth against her lobe. Lucy shuddered before letting him pull her back the few steps to the house. "This time," he said, walking her past the living room where their previous coupling had taken place, "we're gonna take things slower." Letting go of her hand, he nodded his head towards the stairs and she followed him up to the second floor. She couldn't help but keep her gaze fixated on the most marvelous, well-sculpted ass she'd ever seen flexing with each step in front of her.

Reaching the top of the steps Lucy didn't have time to even look around before she was being pulled into one of the rooms. A glass paned door opened to a full master suite. All she had time to notice was a fireplace and door to a balcony before Laxus picked her up to throw her onto the bed.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to take these clothes off all over again," the man husked against her skin. Lucy shivered as he let his lips caress up the side of her leg, sucking and kissing the skin as he ascended. The woman gasped as his hands reached up to pull her skirt down, inching it slowly over the swell of her hips. She lifted so that he could pull it all the way off her body, moving his tongue slowly up the inside of her thigh. Lucy's breath hitched as he stopped just before her junction, but Laxus fully intended to tease her, bringing his tongue to her other thigh and trailing it down to her ankle.

"Laxus," she moaned his name, pulling at his arms to bring him further up her body. The blond stopped what he was doing to oblige her, bringing his lips to meet hers as he lifted the last piece of clothing over her arms and off her body.

He brought his lips to her ear before whispering, "spread your legs." Lucy gasped his name at his crude words but complied. And the moment she did, Laxus had moved back down her body, plunging his tongue into her center. She moaned wantonly at the contact, loving the feeling of him exploring her folds, licking every part of her before moving up to flick her clit with his tongue.

Within minutes he had her teetering on the edge of her release and as he sucked her most sensitive bud into his mouth, she fell off that cliff, flying high as the pleasure spread throughout her body before she pulsed out her release. "God, I love watching you come," Laxus breathed out as she finally came to, feeling completely sated. He smirked at her and she grinned back at him, unable to stop the smile that played on her lips.

Laxus brought his hand up, trailing his thumb over her bottom lip. "The moment I saw you walk through the Guild doors, I wanted to know what those lips would look like wrapped around my cock."

Lucy brought Laxus' finger into her mouth and sucked it suggestively before releasing it to say, "looks like you're gonna find out." Lucy climbed onto all fours as Laxus laid spread in front of her, propping himself up on his elbows. She moved up to kiss the man, licking her own essence off his lips before moving back down to his throbbing manhood.

His tool was resting thick against his abdomen. She'd have been lying if she hadn't thought about doing this very thing the moment she saw the hulking blond as well. Taking him into her mouth, they both groaned in unison. The feeling of his crown, heavy with pleasure in her mouth was enough to make her own core weep again. Laxus let his head fall back as she worked his length, moving her tongue over his sensitive head with each bob of her head. She was a fucking magician with the way she moved on his tool.

"Fuck, Lucy," he breathed out as she quickened her pace while also bringing her hands up to play with his balls. He knew if he didn't stop her, he would come soon enough and he wasn't about to give up the opportunity to experience the blonde's body one more time. Grabbing her hair, he pulled her off his length and damn near came when he heard her whimper in disappointment. "Come here," he growled at her, flipping her over so that he was behind her with her hips up in the air.

He let his hand trail over her backside, dragging his fingertips from her entrance and back, wanting to feel her shiver against him, wanting to hear her beg. "Laxus," she finally moaned, twirling her hips slightly in encouragement. Laxus had already reached into the nightstand and rolled a condom onto him—he was more than ready to fill this woman up once again. But he wanted her begging for him.

"Tell me what you want, Lucy," he whispered, leaning down to nip at her backside with his teeth.

"Oh!" she gasped at the unexpected feeling. "Mmm, your cock," she finally moaned.

"What about it?" Laxus was really restraining himself by this point. Her ass up in the air, her body ready and willing to take him in, the scent of her arousal filling his nostrils, it was all he could do to prevent himself from ramming into her at a punishing pace.

"I want it," Lucy begged, turning around slightly to lock eyes with him. Her look of utter pleading shattered his control. He grabbed her hips firmly in his hands and thrust himself forward, easily sliding into her warm, wet heat.

They both screamed at the movement; Lucy feeling completely filled and Laxus feeling totally encompassed. Laxus began moving slowly, rolling his hips as he moved his shaft in and out of her body. The blonde was moaning almost continuously at this point, feeling every part of his rod move against her walls was almost more than she could take.

From this angle, with every slow stroke he hit that spongy spot inside her that had her climbing that familiar peak once again. Lucy reached back, rubbing her clit with her hand in time with Laxus' movements. With each powerful stroke, she climbed that much higher, feeling the coil in her body stretch that much tighter. She was moaning his name, not even caring about what it would do to his already inflated ego because god dammit she had never felt this good before.

Laxus was having a difficult time keeping his teasing pace and before he knew it, he had increased his speed, Lucy's ass bouncing into his hips with each thrust. "Laxus, I'm gonna come," he heard her moan as he continued to press into her. He watched as her large breasts bounced wildly from his efforts. He reached down and wrapped one arm around her chest, pulling her upright against him while not breaking his pace. He kissed her neck as he thrust deep into her tight core. "Fucking come, Lucy. I want to feel that tight pussy clenching around my cock," he whispered against her ear before biting down on her lobe.

"Fuck!" Lucy screamed as her orgasm tore through her. She felt hot liquid leave her body before waves of pure euphoria rolled through her. The feeling of her squeezing his cock so hard was too much to bear and Laxus followed her right over the edge.

The two laid in the sweat and love soaked sheets before Laxus finally rolled over. Lucy's eyes were still closed and he watched as her chest rose and dropped slowly. She looked amazing, lying there so peacefully, completely sated from all of their activities. Laxus cursed himself internally. He still wanted more from this woman. Fuck, he'd made her come—like actually come as in squirt. While he wouldn't admit it, he'd never been with a woman who had done that before and it was seriously hot. No, he was so far from done with this chick.

"Lucy," he said her name gently and she cracked an eye at him. "Shower," he gruffed, not trusting himself to say anything more at the moment.

She rolled over, nodding her head in understanding. He walked first into the bathroom, turning on the spray and letting it warm. He threw off the used condom into the trash. He looked back at Lucy and the bed she was climbing out of. "Right, not sleeping on those sheets," he thought to himself.

Lucy finally joined him in the bathroom. Laxus was acting completely strange and she couldn't quite understand what was going on. First, he wanted her to stay for the entire night and now he was inviting her to shower with him—in a gentle manner. This really wasn't the Laxus she knew. The Laxus she knew was a cocky asshole who, in general, didn't have much respect for anyone but himself. Perhaps people at the Guild had really misunderstood him.

The two stepped into the spray and Laxus pressed Lucy into the tile wall, working his lips against hers before pulling back. "Told you I could make you come," he said with a cocky grin. Lucy rolled her eyes, there was the Laxus she knew.

"I never had any doubts. That's kind of why I picked you for the job," she said with mirth, pushing against his chest so that she had enough space to clean off her body.

"You know," he said, invading her space once more. "This doesn't have to end." He bent down to nip at her collarbone, smirking as her breath hitched.

Internally Lucy knew it did. She knew that if she let herself, she would end up becoming Laxus' fuck-buddy and as satisfying as that sounded, that's not what she wanted to be known for in her new Guild. She shook her head slightly, not wanting to start something with the man now. She had been very clear, just once, or one night, what was it? She was having trouble remembering with Laxus' scent surrounding her.

The blonde was completely lost in her wool gathering that she missed Laxus turning off the spray. He pulled on her wrist to get her attention, and she grinned sheepishly as she followed him out of the shower. Rubbing off with a towel he handed her, she wrapped it around herself before following him back into the room. "Come on," he said, walking out of the room to head towards the hallway. "We'll sleep in a different room."

"Laxus," she hesitated. "I hadn't planned on staying over."

The man turned, giving her a hard stare. He moved back to where she was frozen in place. "Well I'm not taking you home so that idiot friend of yours can warm your bed." The words were out of his mouth before he even knew what he was saying.

"Laxus!" Lucy gasped. "Natsu is not an idiot, and besides I told you, nothing's going on between us."

"Whever," Laxus gruffed. "Just," he looked at her with those piercing eyes and she felt herself falling for him all over again, "it's cool if you chill here, okay? It's late."

She simply nodded her head and allowed herself to be pulled into an adjacent room. She cast the towel off and slid into the covers of the bed beside Laxus. His arms slid around her body, pulling her close to him underneath the covers. It felt good—too good. As she drifted off to sleep, she tried to remind herself that she could not fall for this man. Laxus was too dangerous.

END CHAPTER 5

. . .

 


	6. Confrontations

**. . .**

_"Whatever," Laxus gruffed. "Just," he looked at her with those piercing eyes and she felt herself falling for him all over again, "it's cool if you chill here, okay? It's late."_

_She simply nodded her head and allowed herself to be pulled into an adjacent room. She cast the towel off and slid into the covers of the bed beside Laxus. His arms slid around her body, pulling her close to him underneath the covers. It felt good—too good. As she drifted off to sleep, she tried to remind herself that she could not fall for this man. Laxus was too dangerous._

. . .

Lucy awoke around dawn to the gentle buzzing of Horologium's key. She pressed her palm into the silver metal, sending her thanks through their bond and the key stopped its movement. As quietly as she could, she turned to try and leave the bed but was surprised to see that Laxus was already gone. Looking around the room, she saw that the bathroom door was closed and there was a light peeking out through the crack.

"This is my chance," the girl thought, dashing out of the bed as quietly as she could and grabbing her clothes from the other room. She hurried down the stairs, throwing her clothes on as she went and as carefully as possible, turned the lock to the front door. She winced, somewhat expecting an alarm to ring, but nothing made a sound. Breathing a sigh of relief, she slipped through the large door, closing it behind her as softly as possible.

Reaching down for her keys, she summoned Pyxis. "Can you lead me home?" she asked the compass-bird. It merely squawked before running off through the woods. Lucy smiled as she followed the spirit back towards her apartment. She tried not to think of all that she was leaving behind as her footsteps carried her further and further away from the house in the forest.

. . .

Laxus woke just before dawn. Rolling over, he watched a sleeping Lucy breathe deep for a few minutes before finally getting up to relieve himself. He took a moment to lean against the bathroom vanity. He tried to convince himself that he was not getting attached to this girl, that she was just such a good lay and that's the only reason he wanted more from her.

The lightning mage was a notorious playboy in Magnolia. His power, looks and position in the Guild made him a chick-magnet and he used it all to his advantage. But he had a policy of never sleeping with the same women too much. He didn't want anyone getting attached. He didn't need that drama. But this time, it was him who seemed to be getting attached to the Celestial Mage and it both pissed him off and somewhat excited him.

"Maybe I could convince her to carry on this whole hook-up thing," he thought to himself, trying to rationalize wanting to see her again. "No reason for her to go unfulfilled when I'm more than happy to give her what she needs." Images of last night's coupling flashed before Laxus' eyes. The blonde underneath him, moaning his name as her muscles clenched around his cock. Damn, he was getting hard all over again just thinking about it.

Thinking he might be able to convince the girl to go another round before she left, he opened the door but was shocked to see the bed empty. "The fuck?" He sniffed the air and followed her scent, first to the other room where he noticed her clothes were gone, and then downstairs, right out the front door.

"Dammit!" the man yelled, hammering his fist against the door. Turning around, he hurried back up to the second floor to throw on some clothes. Having accomplished his task, he was back downstairs and as he threw open the door, instead of being able to concentrate on the sweet scent of Lucy, he was confronted by the loud sound of Bickslow's voice.

"Boss man!" he said, patting the lightning mage on the shoulder. "Ready to take that job?"

Laxus looked at his teammate before realizing that Freed and Evergreen were with him. "Job?" he said, trying to look around Bickslow, still intent on finding Lucy.

Freed spoke up. "We are scheduled to travel to Hargeon today. My understanding is that they are having difficulties with sea monsters near their port and we are to assist," the intellect explained.

Evergreen huffed as she continued fanning herself. "Are you just going to make us stand out here and melt in the humidity, Laxus? Or are you going to invite us in?" she demanded.

Laxus furrowed his brow, frustrated by the morning's turn of events but eventually sighed, stepping aside so his teammates might enter. Bickslow, ever the acrobat, parkoured himself through the living room before finally landing onto the sofa. Looking around for the lacrimavision remote, he came across something lying on the carpet and grinned mischievously.

Picking up the lacy pink underwear, he twirled it around his finger before teasing Laxus—a favorite past time of his. "Whoa! Whoa! What do we have here? Who'd you bang on this couch last night, boss man?"

Laxus turned his head to look at his friend. Freed wore a look of horror on his face and Evergreen looked absolutely disgusted. But Laxus wasn't paying attention to them. All he could concentrate on was the fact that Bix was currently touching Lucy's panties. He started to see red.

"Bickslow," Laxus seethed.

Bix looked at his teammate and suddenly dropped the panties back to the floor and took slow steps from the couch. "Shit. Easy there," he said, trying to cool his friend down. "I'm stepping away from the—fuck!" Bix lunged away from where he was standing as Laxus began shooting lightning at his friend. "Freed, make him stop!" the Seith yelled as he dodged another bolt.

"You really do deserve it, though," Evergreen smirked, watching the spectacle.

"Freeeed," Bickslow whined as he continued to run around the room.

Freed sighed but cleared his throat. "Laxus." The man didn't seem to hear him. All he could think about what Bickslow touching something that belonged to him. "Laxus!" Freed said louder, finally shaking the lightning mage out of his haze.

Laxus stopped, turning to face his teammate as Bix panted and leaned against the wall. "Huh?" the large man said to Freed.

"I think you've made your point," Freed said, pointing to the Seith.

Laxus grunted before coming around the couch to grab the pink panties off the floor. "Ass," Bix cackled under his breath and Laxus shot him a deadly glare. The soul mage just put his hands up in surrender and the blond rolled his eyes.

"I'll be back down when I've changed," Laxus said, running up the stairs, stuffing Lucy's panties into his pocket as he went.

When the man was finally upstairs and out of ear shot, Evergreen drew close to the two men and whispered, "Well that was odd. He's never freaked out on you about something like that before, has he Bix?"

The Seith shook his head. "Fuck no. You think I wanted to get fried this early in the morning?"

"Interesting," Evergreen said in thought, fanning herself just a little bit faster.

Upstairs Laxus was all but livid. The image of Bickslow feeling Lucy's undergarments, smelling them, acting like they were his. "Get it under control, Dreyar. You know he wasn't doing that. Just—fuck. What the fuck is wrong with me?" Laxus sat on the edge of the bed, nearly panting in frustration. There was this incredible drive to go after Lucy but he knew he couldn't without raising huge suspicion. Plus, he wasn't going to cost his team this job. He needed to get his head screwed on straight. "Fuck Lucy," he said to himself. "She's the one that didn't want to stick around. She wasn't that good of a lay anyways," he tried to convince himself.

When the man finally calmed down, he changed into another purple silk shirt and pair of dark trousers—his signature look before throwing a few things in a bag. Heading down the stairs, he signaled to his team that he was ready to go, keeping his mask firmly in place lest they think something was up with him. What he didn't want was any more questions.

. . .

Within an hour, Lucy finally made it back to her apartment. She was exhausted. She hadn't anticipated how far Laxus had teleported them from town and she wasn't doing her walk of shame in the most comfortable of clothing. For that matter, she definitely had lost her panties somewhere in the man's home. "Oh well," she sighed to herself, unlocking the door to her apartment. "He can keep them as a memento."

The moment she unlocked the door, she stripped herself down and crashed onto her bed.

"Ow!" her bed bellowed in pain.

"What the?" Lucy felt something hard beneath her and she sat up, rubbing her ribs where she had landed.

"Lucy?" Natsu said sleepily, sitting up himself.

"Natsu!" Lucy squeaked, quickly bringing the covers up to cover herself. "What are you still doing here?"

"Where'd you go last night?" her friend said, with a raised eyebrow. He was finally waking up from his slumber and he clearly remembered being in fear for his life when Laxus came into Lucy's apartment.

"Why are you still here, Natsu?" Lucy repeated herself.

Natsu gave her a flat look. "Where else would I sleep, Lucy?"

The blonde just rolled her eyes. "Where's Happy?" she inquired.

Natsu yawned, stretching his arms over his head. "He went back to our place. Laxus scared him off. Something about still having life to live, I dunno."

"You should follow his example, Natsu!" Lucy huffed. She was exhausted, both from sex and a hike and she really didn't want to deal with this man right now.

"Why?" Natsu furrowed her brow, running his hands through his unruly pink hair. "Is Laxus coming back here?"

"What?!" Lucy exclaimed. "No!" she hesitated. "And nothing happened between him and I. We were just—"

Natsu cut her off with a raised hand. "I get it. I won't share secrets."

"Really?" Lucy couldn't believe what she was hearing.

Natsu nodded his head. "Happy's the gossip, not me."

"Well, okay," she responded uncertainly. "Thanks, then."

"Right," Natsu said, stretching out one more time. "Well, back to sleep," he said, pulling the covers over him as he curled back into the bed.

"Natsu!" Lucy yelled as the blanket was wrenched from her grasp leaving her naked again.

. . .

The next morning, Lucy slept in. Natsu left while she took a bath, not wanting to share the bed with the fire mage lest she invite any more questions from him. Despite his declaration of secrecy, Lucy was unsure the man truly understood what the word meant.

For the first time in a long while, she felt really good. Her romp with Laxus had sated her lust and when images of last night flashed across her brain, she couldn't help but bite her lip and smile. The feel of the man, so large and powerful, had been simply amazing. And even though she knew he was going to be hard to resist in the future, for the time being, she just felt good.

Walking back from the grocery store, she hugged the bag to her chest tightly, reliving some of the lewder moments from last night. A drizzle against her skin had her turning her eyes skyward. "It's raining?" That was odd, just a minute ago it had been completely clear.

Ahead of her, a strange woman suddenly appeared. She was wearing a blue overcoat that matched her sky-blue locks. "Who are you?" Lucy said cautiously. This whole situation seemed so out of place.

"Drip drip drop. I am Juvia, the rainwoman. And the rain is always with me," the strange woman responded. Lucy cursed internally. Leave it to karma to have to balance out yesterday's good feels with some fucked up shit today. "What sort of woman are you?" the rainwoman asked.

"Uh," Lucy hesitated. For a moment the idea that this was one of Laxus' scorned lovers crossed her mind. "I'm just the regular kind," she said, trying to continue on her path back to her apartment.

The woman bumped into her as they passed. "Pleasure to meet you. I'll be going now."

"So strange," Lucy thought to herself. But she didn't have much time to reflect on the odd encounter as a very strange man suddenly appeared before her. "Great, another weirdo," Lucy sighed aloud.

"Juvia, you must not shy away from the task at hand," the man said, with a thick french accent.

"So you're saying this is the woman we are after?" the rainwoman responded.

"Woman you're after?" Lucy exclaimed. "I think I better be going." As she turned to try and run, the two leaped in front of her, blocking her path. She dropped her groceries to reach for her keys. "What?!" she exclaimed. As she felt against her hip, her key ring was missing. Lucy looked around frantically but before she could even begin to search, she felt herself slowly loosing consciousness, finding it harder and harder to breathe.

"The target has been captured," were the last words she heard before her world became dark.

. . .


	7. Denial

. . .

_"The target has been captured," were the last words Lucy heard before her world became dark._

. . .

"I'm so fucking _over_ this job," Laxus shouted as he moved forward, swinging an electrified fist at the sea monster. The team had confronted a smaller version of this creature, sending it to the bottom of the ocean within a few minutes. That's when the mother arrived. And when she saw what they had done to her baby, all hell broke loose.

Thankfully, quick on his feet, Freed was able to write a containment rune around the team and the beast so that none of the waves they were creating caused ships to crash into the pier.

Bickslow winced as he heard bone crunch where Laxus' fist made contact with the creature. The massive sea serpent staggered before finally falling down, lost in the water.

"Anyone else wanna fuckin' mess with me?" Laxus bellowed at the sea.

Bickslow floated back to the pier on his babies where Evergreen and Freed were standing. "Never seen him so out of control," the Seith commented. "We barely had to do anything. He beat the first thing bloody without even using much magic!"

The brunette sniffed. "I'm certainly not complaining. Those things looked slimy. And getting my hair wet? Do you know how long it takes to get it like this?"

"What? Like you just got out of bed?" Bickslow cackled before jumping back on his totems to run away from the enraged female.

"Would you both calm down? We've got enough on our hands with Laxus acting out. I don't want to babysit you two as well," Freed said formally.

The lightning mage climbed out of the water, using the ladder on the side of the pier. He was soaked through from the fight and subsequent swim. "Let's get back to the hotel," he gruffed at his team. "We can collect the reward after we change."

They all nodded in agreement before following their leader a few blocks to their hotel.

. . .

"Our Guild has been—" Natsu could barely finish the words, the anger rising up in him was too great. He had left for a day mission with Erza and Gray just that morning. They returned to find the Guildhall completely destroyed. Large metal pillars stuck out at odd angles from the building and rubble dotted the street.

"What on earth happened?" Erza said, gazing up at the structure.

Mira approached from a group of Guild members nearby. "Phantom," she said, trying to hold back the tears from falling. "Come on." The silver beauty motioned for the team to walk through the rubble and directed them down into the basement. Natsu looked around. Everyone looked somber, drowning themselves in drink.

"Where's Gramps?" Natsu shouted, anger flaring in his heart. "How could he let this happen?"

Everyone stayed quiet before Mira finally answered. "He's gone to confront Phantom's Guildmaster, Natsu."

"What?!" the fire dragon slayer yelled back. "He went alone? How's he going to fight him alone?"

"He's not alone, Natsu. And he didn't go to fight," Mira said firmly.

"Violence for violence isn't always the answer," Erza said, bowing her head to the wisdom of their Guild master.

Natsu threw a flaming fist against the wall. "This is bullshit! I'm going after him!" But as soon as he tried to run back up the stairs, Elfman came through, carrying a sickly looking Makarov in his arms.

"I'm sorry," the man said with tears in his eyes. "It all happened so fast and I couldn't protect him."

"Quickly!" Mira beckoned Erza to the Master's side so she could help set him down on one of the tables. "We need to contact Porlyusica."

"I'm on it," Erza said, quickly running to the corner of the room to contact the woman.

"It's okay," Mira said to her brother, trying to comfort the larger man. "I'm sure you did all that you could. What matters is that we're all safe. The master will pull through, you'll see!" she said, trying to cheer her brother up.

"It's not okay," Elfman sniffled, looking at his sister. "And we're not all safe."

"What do you mean?" Gray interjected.

"Jose, their Guild master," Elfman continued, turning to Gray. "He's got Lucy and they're planning to bring the fight to us."

"What?!" Natsu bellowed from where he was listening. "Where is Lucy?" he yelled at the larger man.

Elfman took a seat, slumping himself in the chair. "I don't know. We traveled to what we thought was their headquarters but the whole thing ended up being a thought projection. I have no idea where they're holding her." The beastman hesitated. "And, Mira," he said uncertainly. "She doesn't look good. I think she's been severely beaten," he gulped, "or worse."

"Cana?" Mira said, turning to the brunette. "Any luck?"

The brunette sat in the corner, silently flipping through her cards. At Mira's words she lost her temper, throwing the cards against the wall. "This is useless. I can't locate Mystogan."

"I see," Mira said with sad eyes. She wasn't sure whether it would work but she said a silent prayer before channeling her magic into the communication lacrima.

. . .

Laxus stepped out of the shower, toweling off the last of the seawater and slime from his recent fight. He ran his hand through his thick locks, spiking his hair high. He thought a good fight would help clear his mind but it didn't. And that angered him. Him and his team were staying the night in Hargeon, maybe he could find himself a woman to fuck to help forget about the blonde.

He dressed quickly, not wanting to keep his team waiting. The sooner they collected their reward, the sooner he could hit up a club and snag himself a lay. He shrugged his cheetah print shirt on. It wasn't his first choice but he had grabbed it as a backup and his other silk shirt was covered in sea slime. Throwing his soundpods around he neck, he felt a slight buzzing come from his pocket.

Reaching in, he pulled out his phone to see Mira's face appear on the screen. Swiping to answer the call, her normally cheerful eyes were sad on the screen. He sighed, wondering what new bullshit awaited him.

He listened, growing more and more agitated as Mira explained the situation. "Master's seriously injured. And we can't seem to locate Mystogan. You're the only one left that we can turn to! Help us Laxus! We could really use you about now. Fairy Tail is in terrible danger."

Laxus smirked internally. This couldn't be more perfect. If Phantom Lord wanted to take care of his aging Grandfather, that only made his plans for the future that much easier. "Man, Makarov is freaking pathetic. I don't see how this is remotely my problem. You're big girls, so deal with it yourself."

"So you're not going to help us?" Cana blurted.

"Of course not! Why would I?" Laxus was seriously angry at this point. Between everything that had happened with Lucy and now this? He was at his boiling point. "That senile old toad started this. Why do I have to be the one to clean up his mess?"

"Please Laxus," Mira continued. "They've kidnapped Lucy."

"What?!" the lightning mage immediately responded.

"Those fuckers kidnapped Lucy," he thought to himself. The urge to ask Mira where'd they taken her was real. But so was the urge not to give a fuck. "She was the one that left," he reminded himself. "She was the one that said 'no repeats.' What? She's supposed to run and think that I'll chase her everywhere she goes? I ain't no whipped dog," Laxus reasoned with himself.

He shook his head, resolute in not getting involved. "Who? The new girl?" He thought for a second about how fun egging to two women on might be. Knowing it would get a rise out of them, he continued, "I tell you what: if you can talk blondie into being my woman, I'll do anything she wants." As he said it, he tried to swallow the realization that he might have meant it.

"You are such a pig!" Cana yelled at him, giving him the reaction he was after.

He gave her an annoyed look. The members of this Guild were so pathetic. "Are you sure you wanna talk that way to the guy you're begging for help?" Mira stood silently watching the entire exchange. "Do me a favor," Laxus directed his attention back to the barmaid. "If that geezer man happens to pull through, tell him he's over the hill and he should hand the Guild over to me!" He laughed at the shocked faces on the screen before ending the call.

Despite his hysterics, he was seriously pissed. "How fucking dare she? That bitch decides to run away from me, run away from my bed like I didn't rock her entire world. And then what? She goes and gets herself kidnapped and suddenly it's my fucking problem? No fucking way." He grabbed his phone just so he could throw it against the wall, enjoying the way it shattered into a million pieces.

A knock on his door had him whipping his body around. Irritated, he bounded to the door, throwing it open. "What?" he demanded of the rune mage.

"Oh, Laxus," the man said sheepishly. "I thought I heard something from your room. I just came to check on you." Freed blushed a brilliant shade of red and Laxus sighed.

He knew the man was heavily infatuated with him. Laxus could understand, of course, the reason for his worship but sometimes he got a little overbearing. "I'm fine," the blond gruffed, grabbing his fur trimmed coat from the back of the door and throwing it over his shoulders. "I just need a good drink and some good pussy." Freed blanched at his crude words. Getting a reaction out of the man was one of Laxus' favorite past times. Sometimes he understood why Bickslow loved to tease so much. "Come on, Freed. Let's find a bar."

"I'm right behind you, Laxus!" Freed said with enthusiasm, recovering from his shock.

END CHAPTER 7

 


	8. Discontent

**. . .**

_"Come on, Freed. Let's find a bar."_

_"I'm right behind you, Laxus!" Freed said with enthusiasm, recovering from his shock._

**. . .**

It hadn't taken Laxus long to find a date for the evening. Freed and Bickslow had accompanied him to a pier side bar. Freed seemed content to sit by himself at a quiet table in the corner, reading and sipping a glass of wine.

Bickslow always had the ability to draw a crowd, especially of women. The man had this unique, lighthearted attitude that women just seemed to fawn over. Despite his crazed appearance, he was usually able to get a crowd laughing within a matter of minutes.

While women certainly noticed Laxus, he found it much easier to find a willing partner when Bickslow was around. Leave it to the Seith to draw them in. Inevitably one of them would cast eyes at the large blond and Laxus would make his move.

The woman currently moaning underneath him was at the bar with a number of her Guildmates. She had explained it to Laxus but all he remembered was that it was some pansy female-only Guild and they were celebrating someone's birthday. Was it hers? He smirked, well if it was, he was certainly giving her a large present.

"Oh, Laxus!" the green-haired woman moaned beneath him.

The blond was about to respond but, fuck, what was her name? Ana? Ranya? Fuck, oh well. He kept his rhythm up, pounding into her curvaceous body, but honestly he felt like he was just going through the motions. Sure it felt good but it also felt strangely empty. Looking down at the woman, he couldn't understand it. By all accounts she was gorgeous. She had an hourglass figure, striking green hair that she kept in large curls and flirty red lips that were currently plumped from his former torture. But as he looked down at her, lost in the waves of pleasure he was thrusting into her, all he could see was Lucy's face flashing before him. When she threw her head back and came, all he could hear were the filthy things Lucy had said to him during those moments and how much better her walls felt clenched around his cock.

He growled, frustrated that the blonde bimbo was interfering with his pleasure. He picked this woman up by her hips and turned her over, entering her again from behind. Laxus wasn't gentle. He was merely seeking his own release and he couldn't bring himself to care whether (fuck what was her name?) was fully satisfied yet either.

He came and she groaned. He pulled her hard against him, releasing the last of his seed as he pushed harder into her body. Smacking her ass he let her fall back down on the bed as he pulled out, tossing the condom into the trash.

She turned over seductively, twisting her body so that he had a great view of her oversized tits. "That was incredible," she said in her thick accent. He just grunted at her before striding into the bathroom to shower off. He noted that she looked as if she wanted to follow, so he made sure to close and lock the door behind him.

. . .

The train ride back to Magnolia had been rather painful. He usually enjoyed listening to Bickslow carry on about his escapades. He'd been known to join in and share stories of his own exploits from time to time but today, everything was just pissing him off.

He'd had breakfast at the hotel's tavern before they got on the train. There were whisperings among the townspeople that had to do with the Guild. Something about it being destroyed or too weak to fight back. He wasn't clear on exactly what was going on, but the first thing he planned to do when he returned was to get some answers.

"I'm telling you, boss, this girl was crazy!" Bickslow continued to ramble, seemingly oblivious to Laxus' utter lack of interest. "At first, when you looked at her, you'd think she was super uptight. What with that outfit and all those swords and stuff? But I always say, it's the repressed ones who are wildest between the sheets. And man was she," the Seith patted Laxus on the shoulder. The blond's eye began to twitch in irritation. "I swear, I've never had a woman do some of the things she did with her tongue, and I'm Boscan!" he cackled.

Evergreen sighed before she hit him over the head with her fan. "Enough!" she said sternly. "None of us want to hear a play-by-play of your one night stands, Bix!"

"And some of us don't need to, given the proximity of our rooms," Freed muttered under his breath, turning a page to his book.

"Would you all just shut the hell up?" Laxus finally snapped at his teammates. They all looked at him with stunned looks.

It was Evergreen who finally broke the awkward silence. "Leader or not, I will not be spoken to that way, Laxus. What has gotten into you?"

The man merely stood up from his seat and turned to walk to the back of the train. "God, you nag too much, you know that, woman?" he sneered at Evergreen as he went to find himself a quieter seat.

. . .

Lucy laid in bed, looking up at her ceiling. The last few days had been horrible, to say the least. Getting kidnapped and beaten to within an inch of your life by iron bars was not her idea of fun. Her injuries had been severe. Porlyusica helped but the woman could only do so much and knitting bone wasn't on her list of skills. Lucy winced as she turned her head. She had a couple of cracked ribs and although the woman wrapped her carefully, she said it would take at least six weeks.

She'd been pretty shocked when she learned that the master had invited Gajeel and Juvia to join the Guild. Juvia had assisted in her kidnap and had left her with that horrible Guildmaster. And Gajeel, well, the man hadn't been easy with her.

She sighed trying not to let the painful memories make her cry; it only made her healing injuries hurt worse. She'd heard that Laxus had returned from his away mission and confronted Gajeel. Levy had apparently been there and given her the whole story, including how Gajeel stepped in to protect her.

"Maybe the man isn't so bad after all," the blonde mused to herself. "Everyone makes mistakes. Who am I to judge who he is without knowing the first thing about him," she reasoned.

When she'd asked Levy why Laxus had decided to confront Gajeel the way he had, the blue haired mage shook her head. "I don't know, Lu. I know Laxus can be kind of an asshole but the way he was attacking him," she'd hesitated, "it was really violent."

Levy didn't know about the blond-affair. Lucy immediately tried to shake the idea that the man did it on her behalf out of her head. While she'd be hard pressed to deny that such a gesture would have been damn sexy, she didn't condone that sort of retribution. Putting him through the same kind of pain she'd gone through wasn't going to fix any problems.

Her mind turned back to the blond mage. She'd been on bed rest the past three weeks and his wolfish grin had appeared in her dreams more often than she cared to admit. She groaned, and their previous couplings had definitely given her some material to work with when her lust returned.

She wouldn't admit that she had been saddened that she hadn't seen him since their last encounter. With her on bed rest, she hadn't been to the Guild once. Not that there was much left of it, but everyone was working their hardest to rebuild it and in her condition, she would just get in the way. She had secretly hoped that the lightning mage might make an appearance to check on her but she knew that was folly.

She had been very clear that there were to be no repeats. That decision was on her and she couldn't be mad at him for adhering to it. But when she'd said it, she hadn't realized that she wouldn't even _see_ him for this long. She had kind of expected to at least be able to tease him while at the Guildhall.

Her hand drifted down her body at the thought of the intruding figure. She had all but stopped looking at porn. Imagining him on top of her, thrusting deep inside of her, had proven to be much better material. She sighed as she began to touch herself, trying to lose herself in her dreams of him as she became wetter and wetter.

. . .

It had been several weeks since he'd seen her. He understood that she'd been beaten pretty badly, and as much as he hated to admit it, he'd kicked Gajeel's ass for it. He hadn't intended to beat the man so badly, only to land a punch on his jaw to assert his dominance. But as he did, the thought of this punk laying a hand on Lucy, beating her to within an inch of her life the way he had, really got to him and he'd lost it.

As far as he was concerned, the only one in the Guild that actually showed any strength that day was Lucy. Fucking Elfman had come running back to the Guild in tears, Erza couldn't even take more than one hit from some stupid canon and Gramps, he had to resort to a fucking massive spell to beat such a wimpy ass Guild into submission. Absolutely pathetic. The blonde was the only one that showed any real balls that day, standing up to the pierced freak despite the fact that he was beating her bloody.

He'd tried to get information from Mira but the woman wouldn't talk to him. Fucking women and their games, as usual. So he'd marched into the forest and banged on the old woman's door until she finally answered. "What the hell did he do to her?" he'd demanded.

The woman tried to close the door on him and he merely pushed it aside, striding into her house uninvited. He'd known this woman since he was a child—her bark was worse than her bite. He'd asked her specifically if Gajeel or anyone else had abused her in any other way. Porlyusica had assured him multiple times that yes, she had checked and no, there was no evidence of that.

He'd sighed. Good—he wasn't entirely interested in going to jail for murder right about now. He had plans for his weak ass Guild that were almost ready to set in motion. He'd been walking around town as he thought. It was the only way that he truly was able to work things out in his head—he had to move otherwise he felt completely on edge.

The noise of the street filled the air. Normally he was able to drown it out but something rose above it that he wouldn't have been able to pick up if it weren't for his acute sense of hearing. "Oh god!" the voice moaned. He knew that voice—it had plagued his dreams for the past month, almost as if some gremlin was in his head, pressing the repeat button on those very fucking words.

He looked up and winced as he realized he was standing right in front of _her_ apartment. "Yes!" the voice moaned in clear lust. He tried to force his legs to move away from that spot. "If she wants to fuck some rando, that's her business. I have no interest in who she spreads her legs for," he tried to convince himself. He stayed completely rooted to the spot, though. Images of him bursting into her apartment and crushing this mystery man's head against her wall played out before his eyes as he inched closer and closer to her door.

His hand was on the knob as he screamed at himself to just teleport the fuck home. "Laxus!" her voice screamed as he scented a wash of her arousal seemingly seep down to where he was standing. That was it. With those words and that scent, he wrenched the door open and bounded up the stairs to her front door. He tried the handle, fully committed to kicking the door in if it was locked, but was surprised to find it swing open for him easily.

"Who's there?" Her voice trembled as she said the words.

For once in his life, he didn't know exactly how to respond.

END CHAPTER 8


	9. Conversations

. . .

_His hand was on the knob as he screamed at himself to just teleport the fuck home. "Laxus!" her voice screamed as he scented a wash of her arousal seemingly seep down to where he was standing. That was it. With those words and that scent, he wrenched the door open and bounded up the stairs to her front door. He tried the handle, fully committed to kicking the door in if it was locked, but was surprised to find it swing open for him easily._

_"Who's there?" Her voice trembled as she said the words._

_For once in his life, he didn't know exactly how to respond._

. . .

Lucy panicked. Her keys were out of her reach on the other side of her room and in her condition, she doubted she'd get to them in time. "Damn, why didn't I remind Levy to lock the door on her way out?" she internally cursed at herself.

She tried to stay very still, hoping to think of a plan when she heard heavy booted footsteps drawing closer. "Oh god. What if it's Gajeel, come to finish what he started?" Every horrible possible scenario played out in front of her eyes as she listened to the boots draw closer and closer.

She winced as she finally looked up, expecting Satan himself. But she was shocked when she peeked her eyes open and saw—a devil yes—but not actually evil incarnate. "Laxus?" she breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought, oh my god," she said trying to catch her breath. Once she'd calmed down, she realized how pissed she was. "Why didn't you knock? Do you just come barging into people's homes unannounced regularly?" She visibly winced, the pain in her side flaring from all the excitement.

Laxus watched the girl go from scared to relieved to pissed. "Do you regularly keep your front door unlocked?" He fought the urge to reach out to her when she winced from clear pain.

The blonde rolled her eyes. "Incase you haven't noticed, I'm not really in a condition to be walking around much."

Laxus rolled his shoulders, agitated by the whole situation. "Yeah. And I did take care of that for you, by the way," he muttered under his breath.

"Huh?" Lucy couldn't quite make out what he said. Something about taking care of something?

"Nothing," the man gruffed, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Lucy internally shrugged. "So what brings you here anyways?" If she hadn't so clearly felt the pain from her injuries, she would have for sure thought she was dreaming. Imagining the man on top of her as she came and then that very same man waltzes into her apartment, looking as sexy as ever? Yeah, definitely dream material.

The lightning mage shifted uncomfortably. He hadn't thought this far ahead. "I guess I was just wondering how you were doing," he finally admitted. It was the only thing that really made sense after all. What, was he supposed to say that he heard her screaming his name while she clearly came and his fucking hard on led him through her door? Yeah, definitely not something he wanted to admit.

Lucy sat up, discreetly wiping her fingers off on her underwear under the covers before swinging her legs to the side of the bed. She grimaced at the slight pain it caused her but she didn't really feel like looking like an eighty-year-old grandmother while she talked to the hunk. "I'm alright, I guess," she sighed.

"I heard you got beat up pretty badly," Laxus said, stepping closer to her. She motioned for him to take a seat at the chair closest to the bed. He did, flipping it around and removing his coat before straddling it.

"Yeah, I can see that," he responded, nodding to her ribs.

She let the blanket fall away. She knew she was just wearing a tank and pair of panties but seriously, this man had already seen all of her and she wasn't shy. Laxus hitched his eyebrow up as she did so but remained quiet. She lifted her shirt up to reveal the bandages. "It's not too bad, right? Tell me I don't look like a giant mummy!" she laughed at herself.

The blond couldn't believe it. Here she was, laughing about being so severely beaten. She really did have a strength about her different from anyone else in the Guild. "Lucy," he looked at her intently. He hadn't anticipated telling her about his upcoming plans but something about her just made him want to spill everything. "You're so strong, you know that?" He hadn't meant to say those words but they just fell out of his mouth.

Lucy blushed. Here she was, arguably the weakest, newest member of the Guild and Laxus, _the_ Laxus Dreyar, thunder god extraordinaire, was calling her strong? Maybe he was joking. She shook her head. "Don't be silly, Laxus. I managed to get myself kidnapped, _twice!_ " she said in embarrassment.

Laxus chuckled and Lucy gave him a flat stare. "That is true," he agreed before quieting down. "But then, you also managed to survive a beating from the Iron Dragonslayer and still laugh about it."

The blonde sighed. "I suppose but it's not like I had much of a choice. I'm sorry, by the way." Lucy looked down between her hands.

Laxus furrowed his brow in confusion. "For what?" he tried to clarify.

The girl sighed. "Levy told me what Mira and Cana tried to do, trying to guilt you into coming back and everything. That wasn't fair. All the family drama—it was my fault. They shouldn't have asked you to clean up my mess." The girl sighed, "The entire Guild wouldn't have gotten involved if I had it my way."

Laxus sat there stunned. He sort of thought she was going to chew him out for not rescuing her. God, if he didn't hold the door open for most women he got a tongue-lashing. But here she was, apologizing to _him_? He just shook his head before mumbling, "It's cool."

Lucy looked into the big man's eyes. She still didn't quite understand why he was here. Laxus didn't seem like the type of guy to just drop in to talk. Was he hoping for something physical to continue between them? She'd be lying if she said she hadn't secretly thought about the same thing. Thoughts of him between her legs had plagued her mind for quite a while and even with him sitting right in front of her like this, she couldn't help but feel turned on.

Laxus watched as her eyes clouded over in thought. He still wasn't sure why he was here and for that matter, why he stayed. He thought he'd made up his mind about this girl when he decided not to get involved in the whole Phantom thing. But then, with her sitting there in front of him, in just a pink tank and panties, he couldn't help but feel that ever-existent pull towards her. And it was more than just physical attraction. He took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, but was instantly assaulted by another wave of her arousal.

"Fuck," he cursed internally as he knew what was about to happen. This close to the girl, her sitting there in barely any clothes, he hadn't even had time to process just what was happening before he felt himself move. Kicking the chair back, he crossed the small threshold between them and pressed his lips against hers.

END CHAPTER 9

. . .

 


	10. Wounds

. . .

_"Fuck," he cursed internally as he knew what was about to happen. This close to the girl, her sitting there in barely any clothes, he hadn't even had time to process just what was happening before he felt himself move. Kicking the chair back, he crossed the small threshold between them and pressed his lips against hers._

. . .

He was expecting her to fight back, maybe even to push him away, but she didn't. All she did was reach her hands up around his neck and pull him down closer. She moaned against him as he moved his lips on hers. She opened her mouth just slightly when he tongue swiped against her bottom lip, as if asking for entry. As soon as he was given the invitation, Laxus took it, thrusting his tongue into her to tangle with her own.

He moved over her as she laid back down on the bed. Taking extra care to be gentle, he moved his body over hers, straddling her in the process. She reached down his body, gasping as she felt his hardened member through his pants. Laxus groaned at her touch. Even through the material it felt amazing; way better than when (fuck, what was her _name_?) touched him.

Laxus moved his lips over, trailing his tongue along her neck before finally stopping to nip at her ear. He loved the way her breath hitched at his movements, it was as if every little thing he did set her on fire and it was such a rush. Lucy started to press more forcefully against his erection, trying to knead it through his trousers.

The blond started sucking portions of her neck into his mouth forcefully, leaving marks as evidence of his attention. Lucy knew he was leaving hickies on purpose but she couldn't bring herself to care. If anything, it felt amazing and she _wanted_ evidence that this wasn't just some dream.

Laxus started knocking on the bedpost, but Lucy couldn't bring herself to care. His tongue, drawing lazy circles against her neck and moving closer and closer to her breasts was the only thing on her mind. The knocking started again, which was weird. Why would he be doing that to her bed? Come to think of it, she could feel both of his hands on her body, so then—

Knock, knock, knock. "Lucy, I've come to change your bandages," Porlyusica's voice sounded through her front door.

"Shit!" Lucy had completely forgotten that the woman was scheduled to come today to check her over. It was a big favor too, considering how much the woman hated leaving her tree. But Lucy couldn't be hiking out into the woods so she'd made an exception. "Laxus," she hissed, trying to catch his attention.

Laxus was vaguely aware of some annoyance at the front door but he was confident that it would go away. Currently, he was too wrapped up in being able to drag his lips over Lucy's perfect skin again. He hadn't been sure he'd ever get the opportunity again and he wasn't going to waste it. Whoever was out there could just go the fuck home.

"Laxus!" Lucy's voice was insistent as she beat on his chest lightly. The man groaned and Lucy shushed him. "Porylusica is here!" she said, as if that had some meaning.

"Yeah, and?" Laxus said with a flat face, still hovering over the blonde's prone body, not willing to lift himself off her just yet.

"And you need to hide or something!" Lucy huffed, clearly agitated.

Laxus finally accepted his fate—that their encounter was once again put on hold—but refused to give in entirely. "I ain't hiding in some closet like a sixteen year old boy, Lucy. You're a woman, not some runaway child." Laxus stood to his full height and adjusted himself shamelessly through his pants. Not that it did much good; he was still clearly tenting.

"I'll get the door," he sighed, crossing the threshold to let the cockblock of a woman in.

Lucy blushed, realizing the man had a point. She was an adult, after all. And even though she technically was a runaway, that didn't mean she wasn't a woman and should be embarrassed about her sexuality. Slowly, she swung her legs to the side of the bed and sat up. It had been a few weeks now so the injuries weren't quite as fresh or as painful as when she first was injured, but it still hurt to make big movements.

"Laxus, I'm surprised to see you here," the woman sniffed, entering Lucy's apartment. She paused, taking in Lucy's somewhat disheveled appearance. "But then again, maybe I'm not," she snickered.

"Kill me now," Lucy thought. She realized in horror that the woman was probably snickering at the line of hickies Laxus had left on her neck, trailing down between her breasts.

"I see we're feeling better," the pink haired woman stated, crossing the kitchen to sit on the chair beside Lucy. "Lift up," she directed and Lucy did as she was told, lifting her arms so the woman could look at the bandages beneath her shirt. Porlyusica turned her head to look at Laxus. "A little privacy, if you don't mind."

The man smirked. "Nothing I haven't seen before," he said, completely unfazed by the woman's death glare. He winked at Lucy, "and nothing I'd mind seeing again."

Lucy's face bloomed a brilliant shade of red and she cast her eyes down, refusing the meet the healer's stare. Laxus took a seat on the couch, facing the lacrimavision and flipped it on. Porlyusica got to work changing Lucy's bandages, careful to check her over before tying her back up. After a bit of work, she stood. "You look to be healing up nicely. You're no longer on bed rest but," she turned to look directly at Laxus. The large mage met her eyes in a firm gaze, "I would advise against any strenuous activity." With that, she carried herself quickly from the room, closing the door behind her, before Lucy could even finish saying thank you.

"What a shame," Laxus said with a coy smile.

Lucy gave him a confused look. "What's a shame?"

The man strode over to where she was still sitting on the bed. "That you're no longer confined to your bed." He let his fingers run through her blonde locks before brushing them against her neck. The girl sighed; there was nothing quite like his touch, it sent shivers all through her body. "Shall we resume?" he asked with a wolfish grin.

Lucy bit her lower lip, intent on teasing the mage just a bit. "I don't know," she said, casting her large eyes up at him. "I was told not to engage in any _strenuous_ activity."

"Oh baby," he said, gently lifting the shirt off her body, smiling as she willingly lifted her arms for him. "I promise, when I'm done with you, you'll be so relaxed you won't feel a thing." As he said the words, he kneeled down in front of her, spreading her legs.

He didn't hesitate, immediately diving in to torture one of her pale breasts as his other hand palmed its pair. Lucy moaned at his touch. She had told herself that she wasn't going to do this, to get involved with Laxus, but she knew that was a resolution she was bound to break. The man caressed her in a way she had never been touched before. Taking his time he felt around each mound, working his way closer and closer to the center. As his mouth closed over one nipple, she couldn't help but thread her fingers through his thick blond locks.

She closed her eyes, reveling in the feelings he was creating within her as he switched to perform the same torture on her other side. When he was satisfied that he had tasted each mound thoroughly, he reached up, bringing her down to meet his lips to hers before pushing against her, encouraging her to lay back on the bed. She did as he wanted and he rewarded her by beginning to trail kisses up the inside of her thigh.

She was squirming, absolutely adoring the tension the man was creating inside her. Laxus himself was completely subsumed by the woman's scent pouring over him from such close proximity. He reached up, pressing his fingers lightly against her core, delighting in the immediate sounds the woman made in response. He slowly began to move his hand in circles, not specifically touching her clit but making sure the pressure was hard enough so that it continued to arouse her.

And arouse her it did. It was all the woman could do to keep from grabbing Laxus' head and thrusting his mouth between her thighs. All she could imagine was his tongue sliding up her slit once more and it was all she wanted. "Laxus, please," she begged.

"Please what?" Laxus said, rather enjoying this little game. Lucy tried to respond but she couldn't seem to straighten her words. "Tell me what you want, blondie," he whispered against her thigh.

"You," her words trailed off, "mouth," she managed to gasp out.

Laxus rewarded her by pulling her thin panties back, exposing her sex. He moved in, breathing in her scent deep, absolutely entranced by the way the light played off her glistening folds. He teased her a little more, delaying the inevitable. She was squirming, pleading with him to make the contact she so desperately needed.

He finally indulged her, diving in to lick her from top to bottom. Lucy keened at the contact and couldn't have cared less that Laxus smirked against her, he deserved to be cocky with the way he was driving her fast towards that familiar edge. He moved up, flicking her clit with his strong tongue as his fingers entered her. She could feel the pressure in her core building and she tried to breathe deeply, letting the feelings expand within her.

Within minutes he had her breathing stuttering and her muscles clenching upwards. The moment he sucked her pearl into his mouth she crested. She'd already had one orgasm earlier but this one was so much better. Her thighs tensed around his head as she dug her fingers through his hair. Waves of warm pleasure crashed through her body and she felt it from her fingers to her toes.

Watching her come undone from his movements was something the lightning mage would never grow tired of. His member was straining painfully against his pants, seeking its own release. He quickly stripped out of his clothes, unbuckling his pants so that they hung loose around his ankles. Grasping Lucy's hand, he pulled her up so that she was sitting.

Still hazy from her release, she vaguely realized that Laxus' erection was right in front of her. She wondered idly when he had undressed so quickly but as he pushed himself forward, those thoughts fell aside. She grasped his thick length and he put a hand on the wall behind her to steady himself. She started by licking the tip as she pumped him slowly with her hand.

Laxus knew he wouldn't take long to come. He'd been ready the moment he heard her call his name while he was still outside and all this waiting was damn near torturing him. When the vixen finally put her entire mouth around his length, he let his head fall back with a contented sigh. He couldn't wait any longer. Grabbing her gently by the back of her head, he thrust in and out of her delicious mouth, fast speeding towards his end.

She was moaning around his cock, trying to take all that he was giving her and that just turned him on more. Looking down, seeing Lucy's sweet lips wrapped around his full erection, struggling to handle all that he was, the view was enough to send him over. He thrust himself deep into the back of her throat and spilled his seed with a loud groan.

When he finally withdrew from her mouth Lucy was panting, swallowing everything he'd given her before she look up at him with a devious eye and moved to clean his member of the last traces of their tryst.

God help him, he was in way over his head with this woman.

END CHAPTER 10

. . .


	11. Dimwits

. . .

_When he finally withdrew from her mouth Lucy was panting, swallowing everything he'd given her before she look up at him with a devious eye and moved to clean his member of the last traces of their tryst._

_God help him, he was in way over his head with this woman._

. . .

"I dunno, Laxus," Lucy said uncertainly. "I think the whole Guild still really respects the Master." The girl fidgeted nervously as she sat up on the couch. Laxus was pacing the floor in front of her. She wasn't sure how it happened but somehow they had gone from—doing what they were doing before—to talking about, well she wasn't even sure what they were talking about! New Guild leadership or something of the sort?

Laxus gave her an incredulous stare. He couldn't believe this. "I thought of all people you would agree with me?"

Lucy cocked her head to the side. "Why would you think that? I just joined the Guild, after all." This conversation was definitely not how she envisioned this evening going. She half expected Laxus to be gone when she'd gotten up to go to the bathroom. In a way, she almost wished he had left.

"Yeah, and after a couple of months you've been relegated to a group of idiots who constantly get you injured! What type of Master allows that shit to happen?" Laxus was getting angry. Didn't she understand that he was looking out for her best interests?

Lucy wasn't entirely sure what to say. The lightning mage did have a point. She was frequently getting injured and she was somewhat surprised that the Master allowed Erza, Natsu and Gray to work together, considering all the damage they caused. But then again, Natsu was the one that had brought her to the Guild in the first place. "Laxus, it's my choice to work with them." The man bristled.

Laxus quit pacing to sit on the edge of the bed, the mattress creaking under the weight of him. "Not like those losers would respect your choice if you decided otherwise," he mumbled.

Lucy sighed. She wasn't entirely sure how to handle this situation. She needed to clear her head so she could think straight. Doing her best to get up without wincing, she headed towards her bathroom door. "Where the hell are you going?" Laxus immediately barked.

The blonde furrowed her brows. "I just need to fix my bandages. Relax," she said, trying to cool the irate mage.

"Maybe a few minutes alone will do him some good, too," Lucy reasoned as she closed the bathroom door, finally able to breathe.

"Yo boss man, where are you?" the text message from Bickslow lit up on his phone screen.

"Shit," Laxus cursed quietly under his breath.

"You better have a good explanation for making us wait," the snippy text from Evergreen chimed on his phone.

He groaned in frustration, partly at his team and partly at himself. This affair with Lucy was getting into his head. Laxus felt completely out of control and that pissed him off. Control was something he valued above all else. It's why he'd picked the team members he had, because they didn't dispute his leadership. It's why he only ever trained alone, because he didn't want anyone to see him at less than perfect.

Yet here she was—the Guild's princess, too conceited to even understand what he was trying to do for her. And he'd fallen under her spell too it seemed. "Well not any longer," Laxus reasoned with himself as he stood up and collected his coat. "I've gotten more than my fill of her and she's getting in the way of what I really need to be doing right now," his mind continued.

As he attempted to convince himself that he was done for the blonde for good, he quietly slipped out of her apartment.

When Lucy returned from the bathroom, she wasn't all that surprised to see that Laxus had left. She found the conversation he started after their tryst to be odd and it was making her nervous. Frankly, she was surprised he had shown up to her place in the first place. Laxus was a notorious playboy at the Guild known for never seeing the same woman for long—his reputation rivaled that of Loke's.

"Speaking of Loke," Lucy pondered to herself, "I wonder if he'll be at the Guild tomorrow." Having been on bed rest for the last few weeks, Lucy hadn't had an opportunity to thank the guy for finding her keys. Somehow, they had fallen off her person but when the whole Phantom thing was over, Mira had given them back, stating it was Loke who found them.

Exhausted from the extra activities of the day, Lucy climbed back into her bed, intent on sleeping the rest of the day away, not worried in the slightest about Laxus' rather hasty disappearance.

. . .

"It appears Laxus has arrived," Freed announced, putting down the book he was currently reading. The team had gathered at the Rune mage's house. Freed maintained a rather nice townhome in the Market District of Magnolia. The Thunder God Tribe frequently used it as a meeting place, considering how far outside of town Laxus' house was and the rest of them couldn't teleport like he could.

The entire team was gathered around Freed's kitchen table. The oak table itself was set against an all white kitchen with stainless steel appliances. As expected, everything was kept meticulously clean.

Laxus took a seat at the head of the table before grunting at Freed. "Well, go on," he said in an irritated tone. Evergreen just rolled her eyes at his sour attitude but turned her attention to the Rune Mage.

"Yes, well," Freed began, clearing his throat, "I've arranged this meeting at Laxus' request to discuss how we might go about hastening the retirement of Fairy Tail's current Master, Laxus' grandfather."

"Oh my god, Freed," Bickslow whined as his babies repeated his words, "we all know who Makarov is!"

Freed simply ignored the Seith and continued. "Laxus, I've put together a well crafted petition that I thought we might circulate amongst the Guild. If we get enough support, there is no doubt in my mind that the Master will step down."

Still in a foul mood, Laxus groaned. "Like I'm going to circulate some pansy-ass petition for those weaklings to sign. They wouldn't want someone like me to be the next Master. They're happy with the old man cause he doesn't give a shit. The whole Guild has gone soft. They couldn't even protect the Guildhall let alone their own fucking members. Next," he said flippantly.

Freed visibly cringed. The last they spoke, Laxus had seemed to be in favor of trying to handle the passage of leadership diplomatically. Over the past few weeks though, his attitude had clearly soured and it appeared to be affecting how he handled even this situation. "Well, Evergreen, do you have any recommendations?"

Evergreen bristled, "I'm sorry but I have to agree with Laxus." Everyone at the table raised their eyebrows in surprise. "That woman struts around with her flaming red hair, garnering all the attention. She's so damn showy. Never is there a problem where you won't find Erza, trying to hog the spotlight." Evergreen started pumping her fan faster, clearly incensed. "I mean have you heard what people are calling her? _Titania!_ _Queen_ of the Fairies! If anyone should be given such a title it should be me!" the woman huffed.

"Uh, Ever," Bix chimed in uncertainly. "What's this got to do with getting the Master to hand over the Guild to Laxus?"

Evergreen glared daggers at the blue-haired mage before chucking her fan in his direction. Bickslow ducked quickly under the table as the fan sailed overtop the counter and clattered onto the floor.

Freed sighed. "I hesitate to even ask, but Bickslow, do you have any suggestions?"

Laxus slammed his hands down on the table, startling everyone. "No, you know what?" he stood up at this point, his anger beginning to boil over. "Evergreen's right. This whole thing is fucking bullshit. All these fuckers go around acting like they're so amazing and I'm so goddamn tired of it." Laxus was pacing the floor now.

Always the instigator, Bickslow chimed in, "So what're we gonna do about it, boss?"

Laxus met Bix's somewhat crazed stare. The Seith had an edge to him. It was one of the reasons Laxus had chosen him to be part of his team. He wasn't afraid to play a little dirty, if the situation called for it. "I'll tell you what we're gonna do, Bix," Laxus said, swinging an arm around his friend. "We're gonna see what these fuckers are really made of." Laxus grinned. He was finally starting to feel better.

. . .

The next day, Lucy walked over to the makeshift Guildhall slash construction site. A lot of people were hard at work, working on the rebuilding effort but everyone stopped to listen and cheer as Mira made the announcement that jobs would once again be posted. Lucy tried not to feel deflated. She'd been out of work for so many weeks because of her injuries. Her savings were running dangerously low and she'd need to start taking on jobs again soon. She turned to look at her friends crowd around the job board and sighed. Unfortunately, even the simplest of jobs often led to the most complicated of injuries for her. Maybe Laxus had a point after all.

Lucy was so busy watching the excitement surrounding the posting of jobs that she missed it when the man himself wandered in. His eyes couldn't help but go right to the woman. Damn her, she was wearing a skin tight black top that left little doubt about her assets. Not to mention her miniskirt that did little in the way of hiding her curves. "I don't suppose you've seen Loke, have you?" he heard Lucy ask Mira.

Laxus sat down, close to the two women. "What the fuck does she want with him?" he bristled to himself.

"Don't tell me you've fallen head over heels for Fairy Tail's resident playboy?" Mira chided. The blond clenched his fists, his irritation over the whole situation growing.

"It's not like that!" he overheard Lucy quickly respond. The fact that Laxus was relieved to hear her say those words annoyed him even more. He'd only just told himself to back off from this woman and here he was, getting jealous over who she talked to like some sixteen year old boy.

He tried to ignore the women as they babbled on about Lucy's keys. And he had to turn the music up to his soundpods to drown out the jives of her stupid ass teammates. He didn't understand how a woman as strong and as sexy as Lucy would be caught dead with those idiots. He shrugged. If things went his way, at least those losers wouldn't be around for much longer.

Erza's appearance distracted him from his inner monologue. The woman gestured to him to remove his headphones. He groaned, rolling his eyes at her. "What the hell do you want, Erza?" he sneered. He was not in the mood for this shit.

"I want to know why, Laxus," Erza said in her commanding voice.

"Why what?" Laxus said with a cruel smile, leaning back against the table.

"Why you wouldn't help your own Guild in our time of need!" Erza boiled.

Laxus gave her a look of contempt. He was so far beyond done with these fuckers. "I thought I expressed myself clearly enough that day. I'm tired of bailing your asses out. You're all pathetic!" His growing irritation pushed the words out of his mouth.

In true Erza form, she lost her temper. She picked up a discarded wine barrel of Cana's and threw it to her side. Laxus spared a quick glance to watch it sail past where Lucy was sitting at the bar before it completely knocked out Natsu. Inside he was livid. "This fucking Amazon almost hit _my_ woman." The intensity of the thought or its meaning didn't even register, Laxus was so crazed.

"Why don't you tell the others how you feel!" Erza all but screamed at him.

"I have no problem telling them what I think of them," Laxus seethed. "This Guild's full of nothing but losers and weaklings." He heard movement behind him and turned to look. "Especially the two of you morons. You were Phantom's personal punching bags. You know, I'm glad I never bothered to learn your names." Laxus snickered as the people around him gasped.

He looked over in Lucy's direction and was enraged. She had a look of utter confusion on her face. Like he hadn't tried to explain the entire situation to her earlier. He couldn't understand it. "Why doesn't she get that I'm doing this for her? So we don't have to be surrounded by these idiots any longer? So that she doesn't have to get _hurt_ anymore!" He watched as Lucy's face turned sour. "You know what, if she isn't with me, she's against me," he seethed inside.

"Which brings me to the worst of them all," he said right at Lucy. "The rich, little princess wanna-be wizard. This was your fault!" The last words left his mouth before he fully realized what he was saying.

"Laxus!" Mira screamed at him. "Would you shut up! The Master said no one in the Guild was to be held accountable for what happened."

Leave it to Mira to come barging in where she didn't fucking belong. But she continued in her irritating baby voice. "Not even you, despite the fact that I begged you to come help and you turned your back on us!"

Something cracked within him. The entire Guild was watching him but all he could feel was the look of hurt and confusion on Lucy's face. It almost was as if he could feel it somehow, in his own heart. But he was too far in—too far gone to back down now. Shutting the feelings of guilt aside he stood. "Stop your whining! That fight had nothing to do with me!" he bellowed.

He kept his eyes down. He could tell people were terrified of him right now and he didn't want that. What he wanted was for people to understand that he could do better—he just needed to be given the chance. "But if I had been there, you wouldn't be drowning your sorrows in this pile of rubble right now."

"Why you-!" Erza began but not before Natsu attempted to sucker punch him.

"Typical," Laxus thought as he teleported away from the fire slayer. "Can't control his temper, can't control his magic."

"Come on, Laxus! Fight me like a man. You gutless coward!" Natsu yelled.

All Laxus could do was chuckle at the boy's idiocy. "How do you expect to fight me when you can't even touch me, you dimwit. I can't wait to inherit this place and kick all you weaklings to the curb." That got their attention. With everyone looking his way, he figured he'd make his position very clear. "Your days in Fairy Tail are numbered, kids! Things are going to be a whole lot different around here. So I guess you losers will have to find a new place to hang out."

He laughed as he drew his magic to him, trying to ignore the distinct, "what a jerk," he heard coming from Lucy before teleporting himself home.

END CHAPTER 11

. . .


	12. Remix

. . .

_He laughed as he drew his magic to him, trying to ignore the distinct, "what a jerk," he heard coming from Lucy before teleporting himself home._

. . .

"Oh come _on_ Lucy! You _deserve_ this!" Cana said, slapping her friend on the shoulder as she took another swig from her bottle.

"I dunno guys," Lucy said hesitantly. Things had been—stressful—lately, to say the least. After the whole incident with Laxus at the Guild, she'd taken a job with the newly formed "Team Natsu." Laxus' words kept ringing in her head the entire time but she'd made it back without any super life threatening injuries.

But the biggest near-catastrophe out of everything was Loke's situation—or rather, Leo's situation. Lucy truly couldn't believe what had happened, but here she was, the holder of his key.

She looked at Cana only to be assaulted with Cana's best impression of puppy dog eyes. "Puuhhleaaasseee," she begged. "I need a wing girl! I can't just show up somewhere alone!"

"That hasn't stopped you before," Mira chuckled in her baby voice as she walked past the duo.

Cana stuck out her tongue playfully. "Shut up, Mira. I'm trying to work my magic here."

Lucy sighed. There was no arguing with the card mage when she got like this. It was either go out with her tonight or—well no that was the only choice. Somehow when Cana wanted someone to go out, she made it happen. "Fine, Cana. You win, I'll go."

Cana gave an excited whoop before holding out her bottle to Lucy. "Wanna start the pregaming now?"

The blonde shrugged. _If I'm going I'm going. I suppose there's no harm in pre-gaming twelve hours ahead of time._ With that thought, Lucy took a swig from the bottle to the sound of Cana's cheer.

. . .

Metal clashed on metal in Laxus' basement gym as he let the barbell slam into the catch. Pulling himself up from where he was laying on the bench he began to pace the floor. He'd already thrown his shirt clear across the room in his earlier frustration, leaving him bare to the waist with just a pair of loose track pants on. "Fuck," he cursed loudly as he ran both hands through his spiky hair.

He'd thought a heavy lifting session would calm his mind and his nerves but it wasn't helping. If anything, it was focusing his mind even more. "That _bitch!_ " He said aloud. "How could she just go off with those fucking losers? After I warned her about how dangerous it would be. And then, she goes gallivanting with that fucking _prick_?" Laxus had overheard about the Loke situation from the Guild gossip. He'd also heard the rumors flying that Lucy and Loke were potentially an item and that he pledged himself to her—or some bullshit.

He picked up a dumbbell and chucked it against the wall. The weight bounced easily away, thanks to the runes Freed had written around this room. Laxus wasn't particularly known for his even temper, but then he was smart enough to know his own faults when he built the place.

"Screw her," he seethed. "If she wants to go clinging all over other men it's none of my business." He resolved to find a new lay at the club tonight. With all the prep work he and his team were doing for upcoming events, he hadn't gone since he'd gotten back from his last job other than just to check in on off hours. "Well, that's gonna change. I'll fuck the thought of Lucy right out of my head."

. . .

"Cana, Cana, Cana," Lucy tried to get her friend's attention. She stumbled along behind the card mage as Cana held tight onto her hand, pulling her down the street. All Lucy could do was try and keep her eyes down so she didn't fall. Looking at her outfit, she didn't remember when she had put on her thigh high boots, micro white skirt and blue halter, but that's what she was wearing. "When did I put these clothes on?" she asked aloud.

Cana laughed. She loved it when Lucy got this tipsy. The girl completely lost all her inhibitions and was a riot to hang out with. "You gave me quite the show getting ready," the brunette smirked. "You've got a fabulous pair of tits, Luce," she laughed.

Lucy blushed. "Awe, thank you, Cana! Oh my god, that's so sweet of you!" Lucy tried to catch up to give her friend a hug but Cana was dragging her along far too quickly. "Why are we going so fast?" Lucy huffed.

"Cause!" Cana yelled back at the blonde. "If we don't get there soon, we'll be stuck in a giant line."

The two girls finally rounded a corner and Lucy saw where they were headed. "Bartab" was lit up over the entrance and a lengthy line had already formed. "Damn," Cana cursed under her breath before leading Lucy to the back of the line. "Oh well," she sighed. "I guess we'll have to wait after all."

While that little voice in the back of Lucy's head should have been saying, "Danger! Danger! Run now!" it's screams of protest were heavily muffled by the booze currently floating in Lucy's system.

"Cana, baby," Lucy cooed at her friend, before wrapping her arm around her shoulders. "I got this." Cana rolled her eyes with a laugh as she watched Lucy walk to the front of the line and approach one of the bouncers.

 _"No way,"_ Cana thought. " _Like I haven't tried that before. And I'm pretty sure I was willing to offer more than the virgin princess."_ The brunette watched as her friend flipped her side ponytail over her shoulder, rocking back and forth with her hands clasped behind her back, pushing her chest out. It was so obvious she was trying to flirt with the bouncer.

Cana was almost ready to drag her friend back to the line to save her the embarrassment (or worse, risk getting denied at the door) but when she looked up, Lucy was signaling her (as best she could in her rather drunken state) to come to the front of the line. Cana did as she was told, fully expecting to be scolded for letting her drunk friend wander off. But instead, the bouncer pulled back the rope and motioned for them to walk through.

"How did you-?" Cana wondered aloud as they walked into the club.

"I'll let the boss know you're here," the bouncer said to Lucy as she teetered her way past the man.

Lucy hiccupped before drawling, "you do that."

"Who's the boss? And how do you know him?" Cana narrowed her eyes at her friend. "You better have a good reason for holding out on me." She put her hands on her hips.

Lucy looked at Cana. "Oh my god, Cana!" she started to laugh hysterically. "You are _adorable_ when you're angry!" Lucy continued to giggle at her friend.

 _"Whatever,"_ Cana mused. _"I'll torture the information out of her later."_ "Come on," she said, grabbing Lucy's hand again and dragging her to the rectangular bar in the middle of the room. "I want something to drink."

"Same!" Lucy immediately responded. Cana knew Lucy was pretty much at her limit but, the girl had been through a lot lately. If she wanted another drink, she of all people was not going to stop her.

"Whiskey neat," Cana yelled at the bartender.

"And a vodka sour with extra cherries!" Lucy shouted after her. She turned to her friend. "I flipping _love_ those cherries."

Cana laughed and nodded. She turned around to survey the dance floor. The place had a good vibe going and Cana spotted several men standing at tables that looked like they were capable of scratching her itch. It was never hard for Cana to bag a guy for the night. The operation was simple. Go drinking with a friend, go to the bar, dance like a slut with said friend and then let them come to her.

A few of the times when she and Mira had pulled this stunt, things had turned into a fairly steamy group situation. But Cana somewhat doubted that would happen with Lucy. While the blonde was extremely handsy when she drank, Cana couldn't imagine the princess being up for that kind of evening.

The bartender delivered their drinks and Lucy squealed. "Oh my god, yay!" The bartender had put so many cherries on the top of the little glass you could barely see what was underneath it. He winked at Lucy before moving on to fill other drink orders.

Lucy immediately picked up one of the cherries, popping it in her mouth. She sucked the sugar syrup out of the fruit, moaning as she did so. _"How do they make these things so fucking delicious?"_ she pondered as she pulled the first stem from her lips.

Cana downed her whiskey rather hastily. There was an all too incredibly scrumptious man making eyes at her across the dance floor and she wanted to hurry things along. "Come on, Luce. Let's dance," she said, pulling her friend away from her drink and over to the dance floor.

"Oh my god, Cana! I love to dance, how did you know?" Lucy purred at her friend. She sucked her drink down fast through the little straw in the glass. Vodka sours basically tasted like candy so they went down easy—maybe a little too easy.

The brunette pulled her to the dance floor just as "The Remix to Ignition" started to play. Lucy squealed in delight, beginning to sing along, as the two women started moving to the beat.

_~"It's the remix to ignition, hot and fresh out the kitchen. Mama rollin' that body got every man in here wishing. Sipping on coke and rum, I'm like so what I'm drunk. It's the freakin' weekend, baby I'm about to have me some fun." ~_

Lucy let the music wash over her. She knew Cana was getting a little too close and they were attracting some heated looks but she didn't care. Lucy just wanted to forget everything and live in the moment.

The fact that this was Laxus' club didn't escape her alcohol-muddled mind. The blond mage had been plaguing her thoughts more than she'd like to admit. She'd been so hurt when he'd taken that stab at her at the Guild, and in front of everyone, no less. But something inside of her tried to convince her that he hadn't truly meant what he'd said. Still—she felt a little hurt that she hadn't seen him since. She knew it was her who said "one night," but when he had come back to her that time at her apartment and made her come so hard, she'd started to develop a taste for this forbidden fruit.

She knew that if he were here, he would be upstairs but right now, she wasn't sure she could look up and still keep her feet on the floor. So instead, she just danced. Singing the rather filthy lyrics that she knew far too well as she grinded against Cana.

_~"Now it's like murder she wrote, once I get you out them clothes, privacy is on the door, but still they can hear you screamin' 'more.' Girl I'm feelin' what you feelin', no more hoping and wishing, I'm about to take my key and stick it in the ignition."~_

Cana kept her eyes locked on the man across the floor. He had a lean build with a little above average height. His black hair had grown slightly shaggy but you could still see the outline of a widow's peak and long sideburns. Cana bit her lower lip; he looked so rugged with the large criss-cross scars on the left side of his face. And that pendant hanging from his left ear was seriously sexy. His turquoise eyes met hers and he winked at her over his drink.

 _"And done,"_ she thought to herself. _"Oh you are all mine, mystery man."_

"Lu-babe," she called back to her friend. Lucy was completely swept up in her favorite song so she was only vaguely aware that Cana was trying to talk to her. She nodded her head as she continued to dance, not really listening to what the brunette was saying.

Cana was trying to tell her that she was going to break off and wanted to make sure she was okay to get home by herself. Lucy didn't hear any of it but still said, "Yeah, sure." Cana was ruining the song by talking.

Satisfied that her friend would be all right, Cana sauntered over to the mystery man. "Name's Cana," she said, grabbing the drink from his hand to take a swig. _"A stinger. He's got good taste,"_ she thought to herself.

"Doranbolt," he gave the brunette a wolfish grin. This was exactly what he needed before he started his new job with the magic council.

Lucy completely missed the pair exiting the club. She was so wrapped up in singing along to the lyrics while she danced her stress away that she didn't realize Cana had left and she was dancing rather seductively by herself.

In her own world, she continued to sing along.

_~"Crystal poppin' in the stretch Navigator. We got food everywhere, as if the party was catered. We got fellas to my left, honeys on my right. We bring them both together we got junkin' all night."~_

Lucy felt a presence behind her. Assuming it was Cana she grinded against the figure.

_~"Then after the show it's the after party, and after the party it's the hotel lobby. Around about four you gotta clear the lobby."~_

Lucy reached her hands back to slide them down Cana's body, but instead of meeting the curvaceous form of her friend, her hands encountered solid rock. She gasped in shock. Turning around, the final lyrics were on her lips, as she looked up in Laxus' stormy eyes.

_~"Then take it to your room and fuck somebody."~_

END CHAPTER 12

. . .


	13. Ignition

. . .

_Lucy reached her hands back to slide them down Cana's body, but instead of meeting the curvaceous form of her friend, her hands encountered solid rock. She gasped in shock. Turning around, the final lyrics were on her lips, as she looked up in Laxus' stormy eyes._

~"Then take it to your room and fuck somebody."~

. . .

Laxus teleported himself to a few blocks away from his bar, like he always did. Walking around the corner he looked down at his watch. It was only 9:30 but already a line was forming. He smirked as he walked past the line to where the bouncer nodded and let him pass. _"This is going to be a good night—I can already tell."_

Walking into the club, he passed the dance floor and headed straight to the VIP section. When he reached the top of the stairs he had his guy working the area radio down to one of the bartenders to bring him a drink. "Godfather?" the man asked. The mix of whiskey and amaretto was Laxus' go to, but tonight he wanted something stronger. "Make it a snakebite," he instructed before adding, "and make it strong."

The bouncer nodded, repeating the order into the headset as Laxus moved to stand by the bannister. The VIP area was starting to get crowded. A few of the couches had been bought and people were milling about at the high tables as well. He surveyed the pulse of the club from his perch until he drink was delivered. As soon as he started to drink he felt better, letting the alcohol push away the infuriating ache that he tried to keep buried in his heart.

Laughter to his left caught his attention and he turned to see a group of girls coming up to the VIP section. _"Perfect"_ he thought. He kept his eye on one in particular. She had pale skin with short bright pink hair and matching eyes. Her body was curvy in a way that rivaled even Lucy's. _"Oh yeah, she could be fun."_

It also didn't hurt that what she was wearing left little to the imagination. It was basically a blue bikini with pink nylons underneath. _"Kinky,_ " Laxus thought with a lecherous grin. He approached the group, inviting them to sit with him at one of the round couches.

"Oh we can't afford that," one of the girls said with a laugh. "They are way too expensive," another said with a wistful look.

 _"Too easy,"_ Laxus grinned. "That's not a problem when you own the place," he said, waiting for their responses.

"Wait—are you saying you're the owner?" the pink haired girl asked with wide eyes.

"I don't believe him!" another said with a huff.

With the most perfect of timing, one of his guys approached him. "Boss, just letting you know we're almost at full capacity for the VIP section." Laxus nodded, trying to keep the smirk off his face but failing. "Did you need another drink?"

"Thanks, and yeah. Order me another snakebite and bottle service for the table." He clapped the man on the back, reminding himself to throw the guy some extra cash in his paycheck for his impeccable timing.

As soon as the girl heard what happened, she immediately cuddled up to Laxus, grasping his arm possessively and rubbing her chest against it. "Wow! That's amazing!"

"Oh, sweetheart. I promise you, that's not the only thing amazing about me," he said with a cocky grin.

She giggled. He led her over to the nearest couch and snickered as she wasted no time in climbing onto his lap. Her friends threw her nasty looks, all of them trying to paw at the man as well. When one of the bouncers came to deliver their drinks, he seized on the opportunity. "Gabe, you could use a break. Ladies, this is Gabe, one of my best and most trusted bouncers."

Gabe sat down where Laxus had signaled and a huge grin took up residence on his face. The other two girls turned their attention to the new meat almost immediately. While Laxus had had three girls at once plenty of times, he really wasn't in the mood right now to strain himself. He wanted to fuck and forget and not deal with any, "I still haven't come yet," whining.

A pinch on his arm turned his attention back to the woman currently on his lap. "You're ignoring me," she fake pouted.

"Oh?" Laxus teased. "So you resort to violence, do you?"

She bit her lower lip before pushing her body further into his. "I want what I want."

Laxus wasn't an idiot. Internally he knew she was just after his money. It was always what happened when women found out he owned the club. It was why he had been so shocked when Lucy had said that should only have one night together. She'd been so different form all of the other money-grubbing women he met.

But for tonight, he was okay with a woman trying to bag him for his wealth if it meant he got to fuck her. He had no doubts she'd find the sugar daddy of her dreams one day. It just wasn't going to be him.

The nameless girl dove in, invading his mouth eagerly with her tongue and he responded, asserting dominance over the kiss. When she tried to fight with him, he bit her lower lip harshly. She gasped, giggling slightly at the friskiness of it all as he immediately started to palm her ass.

She swung one leg over him so that now she was truly straddling him. He grasped both her hips with his hands, holding her tight against him so he could push his hardening member into her barely covered core.

Internally he pondered whether it would be too inappropriate to fuck her so out in the open and in front of her friends. He had no doubts she'd let him, but he decided against it. He didn't want to lessen the image of his club, after all.

At the same time, he didn't feel like there was any harm in showing a little skin. He pushed the triangles of her bra top back, fully exposing her breasts before he dove in to suck her nipples. She moaned in response. _"Whoa,_ " he immediately pulled back. _"That sounded exactly like Lucy."_ His heart rate increased. He paused and she looked down at him with lust filled eyes, giving him a confused look.

He shook the thought from his head. It must have just been his imagination. Laxus dove back in, palming one breast heavily in his hand while he sucked the other back into his mouth. Another moan followed—and it was definitely Lucy's voice he heard. His hearing was far beyond any normal human's—or mage's for that matter—for reasons currently undisclosed. So when he heard it a second time, there was no mistaking it.

He stood immediately. The girl went tumbling off his lap and onto the table, knocking over drinks and completely dousing her outfit. He didn't even spare a glance at her before leaving her, completely bared and offended to walk to the bannister. He gripped the railing with white knuckles, searching the crowed below him for bright blonde hair.

"What the fuck?" the woman stood, covering herself and marching over to him. Laxus saw her in his peripheral and raised his hand to block the smack before she could even get too far. He grasped her wrist tightly and signaled to another bouncer to throw the girl out. He looked back at Gabe briefly. Her two friends couldn't even care less about what had happened, they were too caught up in the bouncer at the moment. _"So much for that friendship,"_ Laxus smirked.

"Oh my god, Cana! I love to dance, how did you know?" The blond heard Lucy's voice clear over the crowd. He rolled his eyes. He should have known that Cana was somehow involved. He finally spotted her—and his mouth went dry at the sight. There she was, her long blonde hair tied high in a side ponytail. She was wearing thigh high boots and a white skirt that barely did its job. Enough side boob was spilling out of her top to make it borderline indecent. He groaned as he watched her suck another cherry, pursing her pouty lips as she pulled the stem from them.

Images of his thick length pushing past those very same lips, thrusting in and out of that warm mouth from above her flooded his vision and his erection strained painfully at his jeans. He couldn't tear his gaze away from when she closed her mouth over that straw, her cheeks hollowing to suck the alcohol from the glass. _"Oh fuck."_

A throwback song started to play and he watched as the girl squealed before being pulled to the dance floor with Cana where the two started grinding in ways that had him nearly exploding on the spot. He watched with growing agitation at the leers of the men surrounding the women increased. Cana seemed to be intently staring at one of these men in particular.

Laxus looked him over. He looked strangely familiar but he couldn't place it. He shrugged, returning his gaze to the blonde. Laxus growled when he watched Cana completely abandon Lucy in her inebriated state. The heated looks she was getting from men around her was driving Laxus near-insane.

"Fuck no," he cursed under his breath. He couldn't just stand by and let her go home with some asshole. His possessive instinct took over as he feet carried him swiftly down the stairs. Laxus didn't even give a thought to the fact that the last time the two had seen each other he'd called her a "princess wanna-be wizard."

He towered over most people on the dance floor. The song continued to blare and he kept his eye on Lucy as she continued to roll her body to the music. Pushing people aside easily, Laxus made his way through the crowd, finally coming up behind her. He was about to tap her on the shoulder to get her attention but the moment she pressed that fine ass of hers against his body, he froze.

His heart clenched painfully and his arousal skyrocketed. The woman continued to move against him, only increasing both the feeling of torture and of stimulation. It was like a fissure was being created within him. Half his soul was agonizing over his recent behavior while the other half was relishing in the feelings she was creating within him.

Laxus sucked in a deep breath as Lucy's hands reached back to trail down the sides of his body. Starting at his neck she left a burning path with her fingertips. Just as Laxus was about to lean into her touch she stopped. Turning around, he watched her pouty lips as she sang the words, "fuck somebody," as she looked at him with those bambi eyes of hers.

END CHAPTER 13

. . .

 


	14. Teleport

. . .

_Laxus sucked in a deep breath as Lucy's hands reached back to trail down the sides of his body. Starting at his neck she left a burning path with her fingertips. Just as Laxus was about to lean into her touch she stopped. Turning around, he watched her pouty lips as she sang the words, "fuck somebody," as she looked at him with those bambi eyes of hers._

. . .

She was mad at him. Even in her drunken state she was fucking mad at him. Lucy had had a feeling she was going to see him tonight. _"Fucking karma for the win_ ," she thought.

She was mad at how he'd made her break her one night rule. She was mad that he was constantly in her thoughts and plaguing her dreams. She was mad about what he'd said to her at the Guild. And she was mad that he hadn't even attempted to contact her since then. But most of all, she was mad that he made her so fucking wet. No other guy had ever turned her on the way he did. But of course, it had to be Laxus, asshole extraordinaire.

She felt completely unable to control herself around him. Lucy had vowed, "one night, no repeats," and she had reminded herself over and over again why she'd made that bargain. But here she was, staring into his mist colored eyes, feeling about as turned on as ever.

"Laxus." The moment his name left her lips her world turned upside down. She'd seen his jaw clench as he reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her into his hulking frame. She instinctively wrapped her arms around him, thinking maybe they were going to dance but in an instant, she felt the world drop out from underneath her, only to come crashing back.

She wobbled slightly and blinked as she looked at her new surroundings. In the middle of the room was a curved mahogany desk held up with silver bars. Minimalist black leather sofas and chairs were pushed against the wall and a few abstract paintings hung above them. A bar cart with various liquors was set up in the corner. The only light that was on was the small reading light on the desk, giving the whole room a shadowed effect. She was surprised that her vision wasn't blurry anymore and she wasn't feeling any effects of having drunk far too many drinks earlier.

"What just-?" Lucy started to say as she turned, but she was instantly assaulted by Laxus' lips on hers.

Laxus didn't particularly like to use his teleportation near the club. However, as he had done when Natsu tried to sucker punch him, close distance jumps didn't create any sound and usually only left the surrounding people with a little extra static on their clothes and he'd only teleported them to his office on the second floor.

Besides, he knew a side effect of teleportation was that it caused instant sobriety. As the electrical shift happened and the electrons pulsed through someone's entire body, they instantly burned off any toxins. It was one of the reasons Laxus was able to stay in such great shape but still eat and drink the way he did.

So he knew—he knew that if Lucy responded to what he was doing, it was because she wanted it too, not because she was drunk. So the moment their feet touched the floor, he couldn't hold himself back. He needed to know if she still wanted him the way he still wanted her. No woman had ever truly turned down his advances. If Lucy did—he didn't want to think about it.

She thought about fighting him, trying to push him away and dig into him for the things he had said to her. Her hands fisted into his silk shirt, the feel of the smooth fabric cold against her heated skin. His kiss became more insistent and he wrapped his powerful arms around her, crushing her body against his.

But suddenly his voice rang clear in her mind. _"This is all your fault—princess—wanna be wizard."_ "NO!" she pushed against his chest, surprising the man enough that he stumbled backwards just a bit. Without his form pressing into hers, she could finally think clearly again. "I'm not just your plaything, Laxus!" she tried not to meet his eyes. She knew that if she did, she might not be able to say her peace. "You can't just say the shit you did and then expect me to lay down for you."

Deep feelings of regret and disgust reared inside him. He clutched his chest momentarily. A look of worry flashed across Lucy's face. "I—" he hesitated. He knew what he had to do, though. It was something he'd never done before, but he couldn't risk losing Lucy. "I'm sorry," he said firmly. Lucy's eyes were still down, looking at the floor.

Of all the things that she thought he might say, the idea of him saying sorry never once crossed her mind. This was Laxus. Make excuses, make no apologies, Laxus fucking Dreyar. And he was saying sorry—to her—she couldn't believe it. It completely took her by surprise. She didn't know what to say. What do you say when the God of Thunder apologizes to you?

Laxus sensed her hesitation and he pounced on it. Moving back towards her, he swept her into his arms. The look of uncertainty was still on her face. He leaned in, touching his forehead to hers so she would look at him. "Tell me you don't want me, Lucy. Tell me you haven't thought of me every single night since we've been together. Tell me just the thought of me doesn't leave you dripping wet. If you can tell me those things, I'll leave you alone. But—" he pulled her in tighter, pressing his growing erection against her and catching her lips with his, biting her lower lip harshly before pulling back with heaving breaths. "If you did, I know you'd be lying."

Lucy didn't lie. It wasn't in her nature. She was a celestial wizard and her word was tied up with her magic. _"Does Laxus know that? Does he know I can't deny it? Is that why he's saying this?"_ Even if she could deny it, she wouldn't. It was true. Every. Damn. Word of it. She _did_ want him. She _had_ thought of him every single night. He _definitely_ left her dripping wet.

"I—I can't, Laxus," she managed to stumble out.

Heat flared in his vision. They were currently standing in the middle of the room but Laxus walked them backwards so that Lucy was pressed against the wall, the sofa to their side. Instead of moving in to kiss her, like she thought he would do, Laxus grasped her on each arm firmly and looked her directly in the eye.

"Tell me you want me. Lucy, I need to hear it," he said through gritted teeth. Laxus was teetering on the edge of restraint but something deep within him needed to hear her say the words. He was tired of playing games with this woman.

Lucy closed her eyes. She couldn't look him straight in the eye like he wanted and still keep her sanity. Something about the man took away all her self-restraint and common sense. "I want you, Laxus." It was barely more than a whisper. A regular human would have had trouble hearing it but Laxus heard it loud and clear.

The moment the words left her lips, Laxus claimed them. He pushed past her resistance, threading his tongue with hers insistently. His hands moved from her shoulders to roam her body and she moaned into his mouth with abandon. Laxus wasn't going to take it slow. He was going to claim every part of this woman right now. He had to—something inside him was driving him to it in a way he never felt before.

Rough hands pushed her skirt down her body to pool at the floor before they moved upward. All he needed to do to expose her generous chest was push the material aside slightly and she sprang free with the material bunched between her breasts. Laxus dove in with abandon, licking and palming each breast. The taste of her on his tongue had him straining in his pants and the moans she was making above him had him feeling ready to come already.

Lucy reached up to unclasp the top behind her neck and Laxus assisted in pushing the material down and off her body to join her skirt. As he did so, he stood back, taking her in. She was gorgeous and seriously hot in a pair of thigh high boots and just a thong, pushed up against the wall for him. Her cheeks were flushed and her lips swollen from his attention. He looked between her legs and noticed she had completely soaked through her thong with her arousal.

Brown eyes met gray and she whimpered slightly. He stalked back to her, pushing his body against hers. "Tell me what you want, Lucy," he purred against her ear. Her breath hitched and he followed up with, "that's an order," in a heated whisper.

Lucy mewled. Laxux was seriously hot when he got demanding like this. It was absolutely her weakness. It was clearly why she was attracted to such bad boys. "Your clothes," she choked out.

"What about them," Laxus said as he began pressing soft kisses all along her neck.

She was having trouble thinking straight. Her core was aching in a way she'd never experienced and she knew she'd already soaked through her panties. She tried to clear her lust fogged brain enough to say, "I want them off."

Laxus continued to press kisses along her jawline, moving slowly down her neck before starting on her collarbone. "Then take them off," he said in-between his work.

The girl didn't hesitate. Her hands came up to unbutton his purple silk shirt, slowly revealing his chiseled chest adorned with his delicious swirling tattoo.

She pushed the material over his built shoulders, shuddering at the feel of the muscle flex underneath her fingers as he shrugged the shirt to the floor. Her hands began to roam his newly exposed chest. She traced the edges of his chest before letting her fingers trail down to his abs. Lucy felt the man shudder under her touch and it only worked to turn her on that much more.

Further, further down her fingers trailed before finally she reached his belt. She made quick work of it before unbuttoning his pants and pushing them down his body. Lucy bit her lower lip at the look of the man in just his black boxer briefs, hugging his muscular thighs tightly. The two both kicked the pooled clothing away, taking a moment to gasp for air.

Laxus was the one to dive back in, pushing Lucy against the wall. His large hand came down, spreading her thighs to massage her core. His other hand came up to rest across her collarbone, keeping her pinned to the wall, unable to move. The lightning mage brought his lips close to her neck, breathing deep her scent before sucking the skin harshly into his mouth. Lucy moaned wantonly at the contact, her core soaking Laxus fingers even through her panties.

Laxus felt completely out of control, as if something had taken ahold of him and he was running on automatic. But he wasn't fighting it. For the first time, he'd felt truly turned on. It hadn't happened since the last time he'd been with Lucy. She was like the highest high and no other woman even came close.

Lucy fought against him, trying to get her arms out so she could continue to feel his body but he wasn't having any of it. Laxus wasn't going to give her any leeway—he was in control tonight. He had to have her completely submit to him. He tisked at her before saying, "You're _my_ plaything from now on, Lucy. You understand me? You belong to _me_."

His words had her gasping. All she could manage was to nod in agreement. And she didn't hesitate—she wanted to submit to him. There was something deep within her, driving her towards this man like she'd never experienced before. She wanted him, she wanted to be with him, and she wanted to _belong_ to him.

Laxus was still rubbing her core over the top of her panties. Lucy could feel the coil in her stomach starting to wind tighter and tighter. Her breathing stuttered and she moaned as he moved his lips to catch a pert nipple in his mouth. She clenched her thighs tightly around his fingers as her breath hitched. When he twirled his tongue around her peak her muscles drew upward and she came.

Hearing her moan out her release had Laxus beyond turned on. He could feel her entire core pulsing its release as heat spread through her body. She slumped down slightly when he released his hold on her against the wall and he captured her lips, moving them gently over hers to draw out her orgasm.

The blonde felt completely limp but Laxus wasn't done with her. He guided her to the black leather couch and laid her down. Removing his boxers, he was on her in an instant, pushing his hard angles against her soft curves. Lucy mewled as his heavy erection slid against her wet core easily.

Laxus was near breaking point. He needed to be buried inside this woman. He needed her walls to hold onto him like no other woman could. She grounded him in a way he'd never experienced before and he needed her like he needed air. But he also needed her to submit to him—he didn't know why, he just did.

Pushing her thong aside, he lined himself up at her entrance. He spoke close to her ear with heated breaths, "Lucy, tell me how much you want me to fuck you. I need to hear you say it."

"Oh god, Laxus," Lucy moaned, pushing her body into his.

"Not good enough," he said as he moved his length around her entrance. "I need to hear you say it. Tell me what you want me to do, Lucy. _Say it!"_

She gasped as his rod prodded her entrance. Her core felt so empty and she knew he could give her what she needed. She locked eyes with him. "Fuck me, Laxus. You know I need it."

Laxus let his length slide into her just slightly. "Tell me you belong to me. I want to hear you say it."

He was pushing her to the breaking point. It had felt like an eternity since she'd felt so satisfied and she was so close to it right now. And yet, he was keeping what she needed from her.

"Say it, Lucy! Say you're mine!" he said with increasing fervor, sliding his length slighty in and out.

"Yes, oh god, Laxus, yours, I'm yours just please, fuck me!"

The moment the words were out of her mouth, she was rewarded as Laxus plunged his entire length into her body. Lucy yelled out, finally feeling filled in a way that she hadn't realized she's missed. Laxus took up a punishing pace, sliding out of her before slamming back into her. Lucy's large breasts bounced with each of his movements and all she could do was hold onto him for dear life.

With each thrust he pounded further and further into her tight body. He felt his balls drawing up and the tell tale signs of his impending release already, he was so strung out. Her walls grasped him so tightly, he felt so consumed by her.

His fangs lengthened as he brought his lips to the nape of Lucy's neck. He sucked her skin into his mouth as he continued crashing against her body. Their sweat soaked forms moved against each other easily and Lucy felt herself building that familiar cliff again as her breasts moved against Laxus' chest with each push.

"Laxus," she called out his name, trying to tell him what he already knew.

"Fuck yeah, Lucy. Come on my cock. I want to feel your pussy pulse," he said against her ear before continuing to suck hickies into her skin.

Lucy felt her core drawing tight. Her breathing stuttered and when Laxus shifted the angle to hit that spot just behind her pubic bone, she only needed a few more thrusts for her to come hard. She screamed his name as stars burst behind her vision. Her walls became a vice on his erection and the feeling took Laxus over the edge with her.

He pushed into her body forcefully, releasing his seed fully into her body. At the same time, his lips sealed over her neck as he sank his fangs into her skin. He did it without thinking and she gasped and twitched, as she felt completely joined with this man.

The pair was exhausted and as they both came down from their high, sleep took them.

END CHAPTER 14

. . .


	15. Office Talk

. . .

_He pushed into her body forcefully, releasing his seed fully into her body. At the same time, his lips sealed over her neck as he sank his fangs into her skin. He did it without thinking and she gasped and twitched, as she felt completely joined with this man._

_The pair was exhausted and as they both came down from their high, sleep took them._

. . .

Sunlight through a far window shined gently into Lucy's eye, rousing her from her sleep. It took her a minute to get her bearings. She shifted her body slightly and felt sore in ways she never had before. Her neck had a strange throbbing sensation as well.

Blinking her eyes open, she looked around the room. The mahogany desk and dark leather furniture reminded her that she was in Laxus' office at the club. The evening before rushed back to her.

_"Tell me you don't want me, Lucy. Tell me you haven't thought of me every single night since we've been together. Tell me just the thought of me doesn't leave you dripping wet. If you can tell me those things, I'll leave you alone. But, if you did I know you'd be lying."_

She groaned at the memory. How did she let this happen again? She had promised herself that she wasn't going to continue with the lightning mage. Levy had warned her off of him. The script mage had been in the Guild since she was a child and had grown up with Laxus.

_"Lucy—I'm not telling you what to do but I am telling you that he's bad news." Levy gave her friend a concerned look._

_Lucy hadn't been able to get the hulking blond out of her head. She hadn't meant to tell her friend about their latest encounter at the apartment—or at his house the time before that—but the moment the first words left her mouth, the entire story just started filling._

_"I know, Levy. I'm not_ in love _with him or anything like that—" Lucy was starting to say but Levy cut her off._

_"I've seen so many women vow the same thing, Lu. He's a heartbreaker. It's just something about him. He leaves a trail of broken hearts wherever he goes. Just promise me you won't get sucked in by his charm, okay?"_

_Lucy gave her friend a smile. She couldn't promise what Levy wanted and she knew it._

She looked around the room again, spotting her clothes on the floor and a door that looked to be the exit. Thinking back, Lucy wasn't entirely sure how she had even gotten to this room. She'd remembered dancing with Cana vaguely and everything from the Guild to the dance floor was a blur. Everything after she landed in this room, however, she remembered with crystal clarity. _"Strange."_

It was going to be really hard to sneak out of the room without waking Laxus up. Unless he slept like Natsu, but she kind of doubted that. Very slowly, she started to inch his arms off of her, praying that she wouldn't wake him.

"Not this time, blondie," his deep voice rang in her ear.

"Laxus!" she exclaimed. "I—uh—I didn't know you were awake."

Laxus rolled over on the small couch, not releasing her naked form from his body. Lucy sighed as she felt his hard muscle flex beneath her skin. _"God damn this man."_

"Clearly," he said in a monotone voice.

The silence was suffocating between them. The more it pressed against her ears, the more she felt like she needed to leave.

"I should go—"

"We need to talk—"

Both of them said it at the same time. Lucy hesitated. _What could Laxus possibly want to talk about?_ "There's really nothing to talk about, Laxus," Lucy said with uncertainty. She tried to at least sit up, but Laxus' arms hugged her against him like a vice, unyielding.

Laxus laughed beneath her. "Nice try, blondie," she said with a chuckle.

Lucy sighed, letting her head fall back onto the blond beneath her. She ran her hands across her face before letting them trail down her neck to her shoulders. But before she could lower her hands, she felt a wave of arousal wash through her. It was almost insatiable and she felt like she couldn't control herself.

Laxus must have been affected too because she felt his length stand firm against her almost instantaneously. His hands started to roam the top of her body, cupping her breasts and tweaking her nipples. He turned them over so that they were both on their sides, her back flush with his front. From here, he went on instinct, licking and sucking at where her neck met her shoulder.

The blonde had been about to try and stop what was happening but the moment his tongue moved against her neck, that thought fell completely away. "Laxus, yes!" she moaned, pressing her body against his. She wanted to feel his erection pushed inside of her. Her walls clenched in anticipation, as if they felt empty without him.

Lifting her leg and reaching her hand back at the same time, she cupped his firm ass, kneading the flesh there while pushing him forward. Laxus nipped at her earlobe, tracing the shell of her ear as he did so. "You want it, don't you Lucy?" he whispered against her ear.

His breath was hot against her skin and she shivered at the near contact. "I do, Laxus, please." It didn't even register to her that she was begging. She just knew that she needed to be filled with his length.

Laxus was usually a tease when it came to these sorts of encounters. He loved swirling a girl's entrance, prodding and teasing her with what was to come while she writhed with anticipation. But right now, he needed to be consumed by Lucy more than he wanted to tease her. So when she said she wanted him that was all he needed to hear.

He grasped her thigh firmly before plunging into her soaking wet core. They both screamed each other's names in unison as he took up a punishing pace. His length slid against her walls quickly, his flared head massaging that spot behind her pubic bone with each thrust. Skin slammed against skin and the sounds of their coupling filled the quiet room. Moans and mewls spilled out of Lucy's mouth with abandon, only working to turn Laxus on that much more.

Reaching down her body, he began flicking her clit with his fingers, alternating the movement with heavy presses and soft circles. He held her firm against her body as he pounded into her tight heat. Lucy couldn't move even if she had tried, given how tightly Laxus' muscled arms were holding her against him. All she could do was grasp the edge of the sofa with her hands to brace herself as he continued his punishing pace.

Sweat soaked the sofa as it dripped off their bodies from the exertion. Laxus' other arm came up to cup one of her breasts, massaging it in his hand while its pair bounced with each thrust. When his head came down and his lips sealed over her neck, she saw stars. The muscles in her core clenched instantly. Laxus felt it and he angled himself so that his solid length pressed against her most sacred spot. Heat spread through her body in a quickening speed and she felt hot liquid leave her body with the greatest of releases. Pleasure pulsed from her fingers to her toes and when she finally came back down from her climax, it took her a minute to realize the scream of pleasure was actually coming from her lips.

The moment Laxus felt her walls clench around his rod he was done for. His balls drew up and as he angled himself inside of her, he felt and saw hot liquid leave her body before he roared her name, pulsing his seed into her channel.

The two laid there, panting as they both came down from their highs. When she had finally caught her breath, Lucy was the first to speak. "What just happened?" Laxus' grip on her had loosened enough that she was able to at least sit up. Laxus stood too and walked over to a door Lucy hadn't seen. Opening it, she peered inside to see that it was a large bathroom, complete with a shower and a tub.

Exhausted, Laxus grabbed two towels. He wrapped one low on his hips before handing the other to Lucy. She smiled slightly, covering herself quickly.

"Fuck, Lucy," he said as he looked into her eyes. She was standing from adjusting the towel and he bounded towards her. Grasping her near her shoulders he shook her slightly. "What just happened? It's what always happens with you. You're fucking incredible. I haven't been able to get you out of my _fucking_ mind since the first time we were together." Laxus seemed agitated, confused and infatuated all at once.

Lucy returned his stare, looking deep into his eyes. "Is that a bad thing?" she asked with clear hesitation.

Laxus deflated slightly, loosening his grip on her arms until they finally slide down to rest against her hands. "I don't—I don't know," he said with downcast eyes. Lucy winced. "I just—I've never felt like this before."

Levy's words rang in Lucy's head, warning her off about his heartbreaking ways. _I bet this is how he does it. Makes a woman feel completely special and then drops her the moment she caves._ "So this is all just some game for you?" she said in an agitated tone.

Laxus looked up, completely startled. What had changed to make Lucy so angry? "What?" he said in clear confusion.

"You just go around wooing women, making them break all their rules and completely fall for you, huh?" Lucy had started to pace around the room. Laxus just stared at her in disbelief. "And let me guess, when I finally admit that I want you, that you drive me _fucking_ insane, you'll drop me? Is that how you play it, Laxus?"

"Lucy, no—I—" Something in him broke. Sure, he was a known playboy, but he'd always been upfront with the women he slept with. Sure, women often chased after him but it wasn't his fault that he didn't go back on his word, that was their problem. But why couldn't Lucy see that she was different?

But he didn't have the chance to defend himself. One moment Lucy was pacing the floor, and the next she was on it, screaming in pain as she clutched her neck. "Fuck!" she yelled.

Sweat instantly formed on Laxus' skin. A pain formed deep within his chest that he couldn't explain but it drove him towards Lucy. Quickly, he wrapped her in his arms as he kneeled on the floor. Going on instinct, he kissed her, despite her protestations. Her hands left her neck to beat against his body—this was no time for a make out session, but as his lips moved against hers, the pain eased. His fingers crawled up her neck, massaging the spot that had caused her so much pain and the feeling of utter contentedness moved in as he held her in his arms.

"Are you okay?" Lucy looked into his stormy eyes. There was no trace of deceit there, only the look of true concern in their depths.

"Yeah," she said softly. "Thanks to you, I guess."

Laxus shook his head. "I don't know what I did."

"Me neither," Lucy said, slowly sitting up to kneel across from Laxus. "I don't know what the heck is going on with my neck," she confessed. "Do you see anything the matter with it?"

Laxus winced. How was he supposed to tell her that he'd bitten her there yesterday? He'd always loved giving hickeys. Marking women so that they bore the evidence of his presence had always been a favorite pastime of his but he'd never gotten so turned on that he'd actually _bitten_ a woman before.

She was going to find out eventually though. Better tell her now rather than have her be pissed for lying. "I uh," he hesitated, not sure how to proceed. "think I may have gotten a little carried away last night."

She surprised him when she laughed slightly. "That's okay. I think I may have left some pretty severe scratch marks on you that first night. Only fair."

 _Oh dear Lord, I love this woman. Whoa—what the hell was that._ The internal monologue was going off inside Laxus' head, trying to sort out his feelings for this woman.

Lucy stood, bringing him out of his internal panic. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said those things to you. It wasn't fair."

Laxus stood himself. He reached forward with his arms, bringing Lucy into a tight squeeze. The girl willingly allowed him to hold her against her body, trying not to think about just how good it felt. "It's no worries," he said softly, breathing in the scent of her hair. She very clearly was carrying his scent and he loved it. A low purr started in his chest and Lucy burrowed into him deeper. The two stood like that for a few minutes, just basking in the feel of each other.

A loud vibrating noise sounded from the pile of clothes in the corner of the room, interrupting their moment. They both parted a little sheepishly, smiling awkwardly at each other as Lucy went to retrieve her phone. "64 Missed Calls from Cana Albarona" showed on her phone before another call from Cana showed on the screen. Lucy swiped right to answer the call.

"Hey," she said simply.

"HEY! HEY! OH MY GOD THAT'S ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY TO ME?" her voice screamed through the receiver and Lucy moved it away from her head.

"Cana, I'm fine," Lucy finally responded.

"WHERE ARE YOU?" Cana demanded.

Lucy hesitated. Could she really tell Cana that she was still at the bar, in Laxus' office.

Laxus could hear the entire call from where he was standing. The whole thing had his blood boiling. _How dare that drunk act like she's concerned about Lucy now? She was the one that left with some other guy, completely ditching her friend in the process._

When Cana demanded to know where Lucy was, he couldn't take it anymore. Bounding over to where Lucy was standing, he grabbed the phone. "She's with me and she's safe, no thanks to you," he yelled into the phone.

Lucy startled when Laxus walked towards her and he had taken the phone before she could even protest. _Great, now the whole Guild is going to know._

"Who they hell are you?" clear uncertainty in her voice.

Laxus rolled his eyes. "Are you still drunk? It's me, Laxus you moron," he shouted at her through the phone.

"Oh." There was a clear pause on the phone. "Can you hand me back to Lucy?"

Laxus sighed before giving the phone back to the girl. Lucy held the phone up to her ear. "Yeah?"

"So did you take a ride on Thunder Mountain?" Cana drawled.

"Goodbye, Cana," Lucy responded, clicking the phone off with a groan. "Sorry," she said with a grimace.

"Don't apologize. She's the one that left you by yourself last night. It's _her_ who should apologize," Laxus gruffed.

"Wait, you saw us?" Lucy cocked her head to the side.

"Nevermind that." Laxus quickly said to change the conversation. He doubted Lucy would be too thrilled to know that he'd been making out with another woman before he heard her from the VIP section.

Strained silence filled the room again. "I should probably get going," Lucy tried to say again. "Tomorrow's the parade and all. I think I'll probably have some stuff to do to get ready."

 _The parade. Tomorrow. Fuck._ "Lucy," Laxus grabbed her again, giving her an intense stare.

"Yeah," she said a little nervously. There was a growing agitation in Laxus since Cana had called. Lucy wasn't sure where things were between them right now and she was somewhat worried it had something to do with her.

"Don't go tomorrow."

Lucy furrowed her brow. "What? Why?"

Laxus couldn't explain everything. If he did, he could risk all the planning his team had done to this point. "I just—" What could he say to keep her from the Guild tomorrow. "I'm going to be at the Guild tomorrow. I'm going to have a tough talk with the old man. I'm worried things could get a little heated. I just think it'd be better if you stayed home."

Lucy pondered on what Laxus was saying. _Maybe this has to do with what he was trying to get at before? Maybe he's going to ask to become the new Guildmaster._ "Well, what about the parade in the evening?"

 _By that time, I should firmly be in place as the new Master and any danger should be over._ "Yeah, that's fine. I just don't want you getting pulled into Guild politics with you just joining, you know?" he tried to laugh it up.

Lucy visibly relaxed. He was just thinking of her after all. "Okay, thanks for the heads up, Laxus." She looked at him with her big brown eyes. "I hope everything goes well tomorrow."

Laxus grit his teeth, fighting back the urge to tell her everything. "Come to the Guild in the evening, Lucy. Before the parade and we'll talk, okay? About all of this."

Lucy smiled. Laxus wanting to talk had to be a good sign. _Maybe Levy was wrong. Maybe Laxus wasn't as bad as the rumors made him out to be. At the very least, I'm willing to give him a chance._ "Okay," she said, reaching up to give him a soft kiss to the cheek. "I can't wait."

END CHAPTER 15

. . .

 


	16. Caught Up

. . .

_Laxus grit his teeth, fighting back the urge to tell her everything. "Come to the Guild in the evening, Lucy. Before the parade and we'll talk, okay? About all of this."_

_Lucy smiled. Laxus wanting to talk had to be a good sign_. Maybe Levy was wrong. Maybe Laxus wasn't as bad as the rumors made him out to be. At the very least, I'm willing to give him a chance. _"Okay," she said, reaching up to give him a soft kiss to the cheek. "I can't wait."_

. . .

It was mid morning by the time Lucy finally returned back to her apartment. She summoned Plue as she was walking for some company and the moment they entered her home, they both looked around frantically for the sign of team intruders.

She sighed. "Looks like we're alone—for once. I wish I could just come home without having to search the place for weirdos," she lamented. Thinking back to yesterday evening she said to Plue, "you know, I've been through an awful lot lately. I think I deserve a nice long bath."

Climbing into the steaming water felt far better than it should. She sighed and let the stress of her encounters with Laxus wash off her as she washed off the evidence of their tryst. "Back from the dead," she said to no one in particular. "But I guess I'm pretty cute for a zombie," she laughed to herself.

She couldn't help but think about everything that had happened between her and Laxus that morning. The moment she resolved not to see him anymore and she had somehow landed right back on the couch with him plunging into her once again. And there was still that strange throbbing sensation at her neck. She knew better than to touch it this time, seeing how much pain it had caused her earlier. The girl had to laugh. _I suppose I like brawny men. I shouldn't be surprised when his animalistic side shows._ She shuddered. _Better that than vanilla sex._

The sounds of Plue splashing in the tub drew her attention back to the present. She reached into the water for her dog spirit. "Awe, you get all wrinkly like I do!"

The rest of the day was pretty peaceful. She took some time in the afternoon to do some writing and relaxed on the couch and watched a movie. She didn't know exactly what was going on but she was feeling extremely exhausted. _It must just be because of everything that happened over the past day._

When it was still early in the evening, she decided to catch up on her sleep. Climbing under the covers, she heaved a sigh. "Finally, time for bed."

 _This is strange. The bed is way warmer than it should be._ Cracking an eye open she was affronted by the sight of a checkered scarf. "This better not be what I think it is!" Grabbing the material in her hands, she wrenched it as Natsu and Happy came tumbling from under her comforter.

"Good morning," Natsu said sleepily.

"Don't play cool!" Lucy shouted at him. "What are you doing in my room, in my bed with your cat?" Happy merely waived drowsily in response. "Go away!" Lucy finally shouted when neither made any moves towards the door.

"Five more minutes," Natsu said, falling back onto her bed.

"You must be dreaming," Lucy said in irritation.

Happy's little voice stopped her from pulling the man out of her bed again. "Give Natsu his scarf back, you meanie."

Lucy faltered. "Is it that important to him? I've never seen him without it. He never takes this thing off, huh?"

"Nope. He got it from Igneel, so it's really important to him," Happy explained.

Rumblings from where Natsu was asleep on her bed distracted them both. "Hey, are you sure he's going to be okay?"

"Aye," Happy said, perking up. "He's probably just feeling a little sickly because he ate all that ether nano."

Lucy furrowed her brow. "Is that bad for him?"

"Aye!" Happy exclaimed. "One time he ate a bunch of Laxus' lightning and the same thing happened."

Lucy's breath hitched at the sound of his name. She tried to play it off. "So eating anything other than fire makes him sick? Wait, why would he ever want to eat Laxus' lightning," she said with genuine curiosity.

"Well," Happy said thinking back to the memory. "He didn't want to eat it. They fought and Natsu got his butt whooped pretty bad."

"Wow," Lucy breathed. "I had no idea he was that powerful." Suddenly, the fact that she was involved with this man seemed that much more serious.

"Aye. He's super duper strong. Who knows, maybe Erza or Mystogan might be able to beat him now. Actually Mira was pretty strong back in the day. She even had the nickname 'the she devil,'" Happy explained.

Lucy flinched. "But she seems so sweet!"

"We should have a big tournament to decide who's the strongest!" Happy blurted out. "It might be fun to find out where you stand, huh?"

Lucy shivered. _That is a truly horrible idea._ "I'm fine not knowing. Besides, I don't like the idea of ranking my friends," she said sincerely.

Happy started babbling. "I wonder how Gray and Elfman would do? Gajeel and Juvia are pretty awesome too."

Lucy sighed, picking up the cat by his backpack while he continued to talk. "Yeah, I get it. Everyone's great but me," she said somberly, walking the cat to her window. "But it's time for you to head home."

As she put Happy on the ledge, she noticed a piece of paper sticking out of his backpack. "What have you got here?"

"Oh!" Happy cried. "I forgot I was supposed to show that to you! You need money for rent right? Fairy Tail's going to be part of the Harvest Festival!"

"How's that help me?" Lucy tried to clarify.

"Check it out at the bottom of the page!" Lucy looked at the flier in her hand.

"Miss Fairy Tail contest?" Lucy read aloud.

"Aye! And as you can see, the winner gets 500,000 jewel!" Happy declared, standing proud on the bed.

"Oh my gosh!" Lucy help the flier in reverence. "If I could just win that prize money, I could cover my rent for the next seven months!"

"Even though Mira and Cana are entering the contest too, you may still have a shot at it," the cat said in a teasing tone.

Lucy instantly deflated. "Awe, if Mira's competing, I don't stand a chance. She's a bikini model for Sorcerer Weekly!" Lucy's eyes turned mischievous. "But wait! I'm younger than she is, which makes the exciting new model!" Gaining steam she stood on the bed. "I can do it, yeah! Bring it on! That prize money is as good as mine!"

"It's too loud in here!" Natsu yelled, sitting up in the bed and knocking Lucy over. "Come on, Happy! We're heading home!" And with that, the duo flew through her window and out into the night.

"You're freaking welcome!" Lucy yelled after them before getting back on her feet.

Finally climbing into her empty bed, she put the flier next to her. _Laxus specifically asked me to stay away from the Guild until tomorrow evening. But, the contest is in the morning and I really need that money._ Lucy tried to figure out if Laxus would be mad if she showed up, or if she should even care. _Nah, I think he was just trying to keep me out of an awkward situation between him and his Grandfather. But if I'm involved in the contest, I'll be out of his and everyone else's way_. She'd made up her mind that she would still head to the Guild in the morning to enter the contest. She really needed that prize money, after all.

. . .

Laxus met up with his three teammates that afternoon. He needed to confirm that everything was in place for tomorrow personally. He trusted Freed with the planning and the Rune mage nodded his head. "Everything is prepared, Laxus."

The lightning mage grinned before instructing his team to proceed to Shirotsume to handle a dark Guild but to ensure they were back for the start of the Festival tomorrow morning, as scheduled.

As the team departed, Laxus stayed at their meeting place, overlooking Magnolia from the cliff's view. He took time to meditate on what he was about to do. While his team had planned a large tournament, he was somewhat hoping that it wouldn't be necessary. He hoped that his Grandfather would finally come to realize how good of a leader he was and how strong he was. He just wanted to be given his opportunity and the old man had denied him that for too long.

So he hoped that the man would see reason and that by the time Lucy came to talk to him that evening, he would be the new Guild Master. But, he also steeled his resolve. "It looks like my time has finally come. One way or another, the old man's era is about the come to an end!"

. . .

"The long wait is finally over, ladies and gentlemen!" Max shouted through the microphone. "Welcome to the one and only Miss Fairy Tail contest. Where your favorite Fairies fight in a battle of beauty. Now let's meet Entry Number 1; the exciting beauty that will drink you under the table any day of the week: Cana Alberona!"

Lucy watched from behind the curtain as Cana used her magic to change into a rather revealing striped bikini. "A swimsuit, no fair!"

Erza showed up next to her, looking out at the scene. "That's a clever idea. Maybe I should do the same."

"What you're in this too," Lucy exclaimed.

A stern look took up residence on Erza's face. "When I hear the word contest, I get all worked up."

Lucy sighed. "Bye bye rent money. It's over for me."

Max announced the contestants one by one until it was finally Lucy's turn. "Now show us what you got!" Max said with exuberance.

"Me and my celestial spirits are going to do a cheer for you guys!" Lucy said, holding up her pom pom. The crowd went wild but before Lucy could even begin her act, a shrill voice sounded from behind the curtain.

"Entry number eight!" A chestnut haired woman wearing an all green dress walked out on stage. "I am the very definition of Fairy. Not to mention the very definition of beauty. I'm the only woman here who embodies everything men desire and therefore, the winner is me! The lovely Evergreen. Now," she said turning her attention to Lucy, "this idiotic contest can end."

The crowd went silent at the interruption. _Who the hell does this woman think she is, barging in like she owns the place?_ Lucy's sass came out with a vengeance and she turned to meet the woman. "Can't you go and mess up a different contest. Give me a break, a really need this prize money!"

As she shouted the last of the words, she heard Gray's voice call out. "Lucy, don't look her in the eye!"

"Huh?" But it was too late. Lucy watched as the woman lowered her glasses. Suddenly, the world went dark as if she had fallen into a deep sleep. In reality, she had been completely turned to stone.

. . .

The talk hadn't gone well. If anything, relations between Laxus and his Grandfather were at an even lower point. True—Laxus had gone into the man's office, all but demanding he step down from his position as Guildmaster but the old geezer didn't have to laugh at him.

"Why doesn't he understand that he's over the hill? He's made the Guild so weak and reckless. I know I can do better!" Laxus roared in the training grounds he'd build outside his house.

As soon as he'd left the meeting with his Grandfather, he'd given his teammates the go ahead to move forward with their plan. A buzz on his phone alerted him that it was time. "If that old fuck can't see he's too weak to run things, I'll just have to show him. He'll have no choice after everything that happens today."

. . .

A crack of lightning resounded in the Guildhall. Laxus had teleported himself all the way from his house at the outer bounds of the city so the charge needed was heavy and the sound was near deafening. Exactly the entrance he wanted.

"Well, looks like all your fans decided to head home. Pity because the party's about to start!" He bellowed at his grandfather.

"I've had about enough of your nonsense, Laxus!" the old man yelled at him. "Turn them back or else!"

Laxus smirked. "You better play nice if you want these ladies to join the parade." He turned to look at the statues for the first time. And what he saw absolutely horrified him. Standing there to his right was Lucy— _his Lucy_ —completely turned to stone. He couldn't blame Evergreen. She had been instructed to turn the contestants to stone but— _why the fuck did she show up? I told her not to!_

Anger flared in his chest along with a deep burning sensation. He felt the control on his magic slipping and he watched in horror as a bolt of lightning came rushing towards him—far too close to where Lucy was frozen.

He tried to even his breathing. This was his moment. If he fucked this up, he'd never get control of the Guild. He was here to show his Grandfather that he was the strongest of everyone. If he lost control of his magic—if he lost his bearings now—everything would be for nothing.

He walked over to Lucy, wrapping an arm around her possessively out of instinct. "I'm taking all these ladies hostage. Break the rules and I'll shatter these chicks one by one. Or I could just smash them right now." He kept his body draped over Lucy, unwilling to separate himself from her until he absolutely had to.

"I'm not amused Laxus. Stop fooling around!" the Guildmaster howled.

"I'm serious, old man. There's only one rule: whoever's left standing in the end is the winner. It's a Fairy Tail battle royal!"

After Natsu made a fool of himself and Laxus was able to shock the hell out of him for sport, his teammates explained the rules to the Guildmembers.

With his last words, Laxus teleported himself to the predetermined place to await whoever turned out to be the strongest of the Guild. As he reached the Cathedral, he immediately fell to the floor. Something was straining in his chest and he couldn't understand it. He was pissed, _so pissed_ , that Lucy had shown up to the contest. He'd specifically not told her about it because he knew it was something she'd want to participate in.

His only consolation was that he knew she wasn't in any real danger. Not many people knew, but Evergreen's stone magic didn't _actually_ turn people to stone. It only put them in a deep sleep and encased them in a porous stone shell. The effects of her petrification would wear off after a little over three hours. Which is why they had set the time limit. Smashing the stone shell itself would never kill any of the girls. It might bruise them slightly from the impact, but other than that they were safe.

The whole thing was an act to get the members to fight their hardest. He and his teammates weren't murderers. It actually annoyed him slightly that his Guildmembers so easily assumed he'd be willing to do something like that.

Laxus tried to take deep, calming breaths. He needed to be at the top of his game when the final battle came. Lucy would forgive him if it meant his plan worked.

END CHAPTER 16

. . .


	17. Need

. . .

_Laxus tried to take deep, calming breaths. He needed to be at the top of his game when the final battle came. Lucy would forgive him if it meant his plan worked._

. . .

It was as if she'd been woken abruptly in the middle of a REM cycle. She felt groggy, exhausted and completely confused about where she was. The last thing she remembered was confronting a chestnut haired woman for intervening in the Miss Fairy Tail contest.

When she'd awoken, Levy was rushing over to her. "Lu! Oh my goodness, are you okay?"

Lucy shook her head, trying to clear out the fog in her mind. "Yeah, I think so. What happened?"

Her friend looked somber. As she explained what was going on, Lucy felt a crack start to form in her heart. "There has to be some mistake," she tried to clarify.

Levy just shook her head. "I'm sorry, Lucy. I know this must be hard for you, but there's really no way around what he did—or rather, is doing."

Before Lucy had the chance to open her mouth—to try and convince her friend that there just _had_ to be some sort of mistake—that the Laxus she'd come to know over the past few weeks wasn't like that, blood red runes started to circulate and swirl in the center of the Guildhall. Everyone's gaze looked up as they formed a giant floating skull.

"Can you hear me old man?" Lucy froze. There was no mistaking it—that was Laxus' voice. "The rest of you better listen up too. Looks like one of the rules has gone out the window. That's fine, I'll just add a new one." The voice was completely irreverent. Lucy searched for every possible alternative explanation to what was going on. But Laxus didn't stop there. "In other words, since I would hate to end the battle of fairy tail early, I've decided to activate the Thunder Palace."

The Master's voice shouted at the apparition. "Are you out of your mind Laxus?"

"You have one hour and ten minutes," it responded coolly. "If you think you can win, you better get moving. Unless you're ready to hand the Guild over to me now, Master." The specter broke apart with Laxus' thunderous laughter.

"No," Lucy breathed. She didn't want to believe what she just heard. Everyone rushed around to take care of the Master when he collapsed from the stress of the situation before looking outside to see the lightning lacrima surrounding the entire city.

Everyone seemed to be moving in a rush as Lucy was trying to grasp onto reality. Bisca and the Master were taken to the infirmary as Levy and Gajeel went back inside to work on the enchantments surrounding the building. She'd lost track of Natsu and Happy when they'd run off, saying something about looking for an opening.

Standing by herself on the bannister she tried to come to terms with everything that was happening. The bit mark in the side of her neck had started aching when she came to. She thought the stone might have aggravated it but now it was near throbbing—it was making it hard to think.

"Come on, think Lucy," she said aloud, trying to focus her thoughts.

"Yeah, think Lucy!" voices around her repeated. All of the sudden, shots started firing at her and she screamed in surprise as she moved to dodge them.

A mage she had never seen before appeared above her on the terrace. He was wearing a striped outfit that looked straight out of the middle ages. Complete with a very medieval looking visor covering his eyes. "Yo, the name's Bickslow. So, you must be the newbie everyone's talking about," he said in a joking voice.

She was agitated. How dare someone attack her for no reason like this. "Is that so? You wanna tell me what they're saying cause I'm dying to know."

"Just that you're into whips, playing dress up and you like bossing people around."

"Jeez! They make me sound like I'm some kind of pervert!" Lucy exclaimed, momentarily forgetting this man had just attacker her.

"Nice cheerleader costume, by the way," he said lasciviously.

"Cheerleader! Go team!" His little totems repeated.

"Allright, babies. Time to tear it up!" the man yelled before the wooden totems started firing at her again. All she could do was dodge their attacks as the man continued to taunt her. "Too bad. Normally I'd go easy on you because you're a newbie. But this here's a war. Losing is simply not an option for us!"

"If you think the Master is going to let you get away with this, you've got another thing coming!" Lucy shouted, trying to catch her breath.

The man laughed haughtily. "The master can go suck it for all I care. By the time this is over Laxus will be the new master!"

Lucy's breath hitched. This man—he was with Laxus? The moment her thoughts returned back to the man, the ache in the side of her neck increased, distracting her. Shots fired around her again and it was all she could do to dodge them. _Laxus! I need to get past him. I need to get to Laxus!_

But the man kept shooting at her with his totems. Even after she destroyed them, he just moved to posses other objects. "Bickslow!" she yelled, trying to get his attention away from pummeling her. "I need to get to Laxus. It's really important!"

Bickslow's tongue hung out his mouth as he smiled. "That's the whole point, baby. I told you, this is a war. You gotta get past me before you can advance."

 _He doesn't understand!_ Lucy tripped as she dodged another attack. She saw him building up energy to throw at her. She braced herself, ready for the end but just as it was about to hit, she felt herself being lifted off the floor and carried away. As her feet were placed back on the floor, she turned to look up. "Loke?"

For the first time, the two fought side by side. She hated the idea of fighting her teammate—a friend of Laxus'. But the man wouldn't let up. It was fight or be beat. And right now, all she wanted to do was get to Laxus. There was something deep inside that was driving her towards the man. She didn't know exactly why, she just knew she needed to see him.

The need to see him gave her strength she didn't know she had. She gave everything she had into beating Bickslow. She had to beat him—because she had to see him.

. . .

Nothing was going according to plan. The whole thing had turned into a shit show and he was in the center of it. From the moment he'd landed on the stage and seen Lucy turned to stone, his heart was no longer in this fight.

He knew Lucy had been released from the stone before Freed came in to report it. Somehow, he could feel it within his very being. What he also felt was a sense of hurt, sadness and despair. Thinking it was a result of his own feelings at this shit show, he instructed Freed to do whatever it took to get things back on track. The mage seemed hesitant. Laxus didn't have time to argue with him. The pain in his chest was too great and he couldn't think straight.

"Just get it done, Freed! And get out of my sight!" He lost control of his temper and his magic again. He winced as he realized he had taken his anger out on one of his oldest and closest friends. _What the fuck is going on with me? I'm totally fucking losing it!_

As time ticked by, his mind seemed to detach further and further from reality. He couldn't quite comprehend everything he was feeling so he pushed it down, letting his impulses take control. By the time Mystogan showed up, followed by Natsu, he was funning on pure adrenaline and he was crazed. There was no logic left in him.

A voice deep inside of him was the only thing he was listening to. _Show her how strong I am! If she sees how strong I am, she will be mine completely! Strong! Master! Mine!_ The mantra played out in his head over and over again as he fought his Guildmates. He didn't even have to think about what he was doing. At this point, something within him had completely taken over.

_Destroy him! Another dragon! Destroy them all and no one will be able to contest me!_

. . .

Lucy rounded the corner as the Cathedral came into view. She didn't know how she knew which was to go but something was pulling her in that direction. Yellow light lit up the sky around the building followed by an orange glow and she knew she was close. Laxus and Natsu were obviously in there battling it out.

As she approached her eyes widened as she saw Laxus in a way she never had before. Scaled covered his body and his body was huge as if every aspect of him was amplified. He was holding a ball of light between his hands and she overheard Gajeel say, "This guy's insane. He's trying to cast Makarov's ultimate judgment spell. It will target anyone that caster sees as their enemy. We're as good as dead."

Laxus spoke. Lucy was sure she saw his lips move but it wasn't his voice. "You're right metalhead. I've mastered the Fairy Law spell!"

"Laxus! What are you thinking! Don't do this!" Natsu shouted at him.

Something inside Lucy broke. She couldn't stand by and let this happen. This wasn't the Laxus she knew. This wasn't the man she had come to care for. "LAXUS! STOP!" she shouted.

"Lucy!" Natsu turned to look at her.

"You idiot, what are you doing here?" Gajeel bellowed at her.

"You've got to stop this, Laxus. Please!"

 _Lucy?_ Laxus' mind started to push back against the overwhelming force within his body that had taken control. He looked down at his hands, realizing that he was holding the Fairy Law spell. _What the fuck? What the hell is going on?_

"If not for your Guild, if not for yourself, please stop for me!" Lucy cried, leaning against the stone wall. Her strength had almost left her at this point. The fight with Bickslow had been a heavy toll. Combine that with sprinting to the Cathedral and she was barely able to stand. Still, it was instinct that drove her here and now that she had done what she came to do, her strength was leaving her. "Please stop, Laxus," were her last words before she fainted to the ground.

Laxus blinked to clear his vision. His size reduced as his mind pushed back the beast within him. He looked over to where Lucy was standing and watched as she fell forward on the hard stone floor. "Lucy!" he yelled. He was frantic. He didn't know how he'd even conjured this spell, much less how to control it. _Fuck! I don't know how to dissipate it! God damn it! What the hell happened?_

A bright light flashed all around him as he felt the spell dissipate. Magic energy returned to his body and his mind cleared the last of its fog. He overheard Freed show up, babbling something about how his true feelings for his Guildmates were revealed. He couldn't care less what the man thought. He'd clear up the issue later—he'd set everyone straight that he hadn't cast the spell. But right now, he needed to get to Lucy.

As he moved towards her, Natsu and Gajeel both stood. "You stay the hell away from her!" Natsu spat.

"Get out of my way, Natsu!" Laxus was completely frenetic. _I need to get to her. I need to protect her._ Pain shot through his chest and he doubled over from the shock of it. His eyes were so fixated on the blonde laying on the floor that he missed the flaming punch Natsu threw his way.

He was thrown back as Natsu and Gajeel stood, once again blocking his path to Lucy. _I must get to her!_ "Get out of my way!"

The fire dragon slayer started taunting him. Saying something about family. The two men drew power to them, lightning and fire surrounding both of them. "How dare you challenge me!" Laxus shouted, feeling completely beside himself with anger.

"I'm going to stop you Laxus!" Natsu yelled back. Laxus was at the end of his strength. The moment Lucy had passed out he'd felt a huge chunk of his power leave his body as well. He had no drive to fight the flame mage right now. The only thing he wanted to do was get to Lucy.

As their fists met, Laxus landed a good one on Natsu, throwing him into a nearby stone wall. But Natsu was nothing if not persistent. He managed to get up, drawing fire back into his fists. Laxus was done and he knew it. He didn't want to fight this fight. _I just want to get to Lucy._

Laxus let it happen. If it meant that this stupid fight was over sooner he'd let Natsu punch him a thousand times. He fell to the floor as his Guildmates gasped, not understanding the situation. Laxus felt consciousness leave his body. The last thought in his mind was the need to get to Lucy.

END CHAPTER 17

. . .


	18. Conversations

. . .

_As their fists met, Laxus landed a good one on Natsu, throwing him into a nearby stone wall. But Natsu was nothing if not persistent. He managed to get up, drawing fire back into his fists. Laxus was done and he knew it. He didn't want to fight this fight. I just want to get to Lucy._

_Laxus let it happen. If it meant that this stupid fight was over sooner he'd let Natsu punch him a thousand times. He fell to the floor as his Guildmates gasped, not understanding the situation. Laxus felt consciousness leave his body. The last thought in his mind was the need to get to Lucy._

. . .

When she came to, she was looking at the ceiling of the Guildhall's infirmary. Images of a larger than Laxus holding the final judgment spell flashed before her eyes and she winced. _I really hope that all that was just a dream._

"I see you're awake," the Master's voice sounded somewhere beside her.

"Oh," she said in surprise. "Master Makarov, I didn't realize there was someone else here."

"Looks like we both had a hard time of it," the old man chukled, jumping down from a nearby bed.

He walked near Lucy's bed and took a seat in the chair next to her. His head was wrapped with bandages and he looked pretty weathered. "Yeah, I guess so." Lucy looked down at herself. She at least wasn't sporting any bandages yet reaching up she felt a tender spot against her forehead, where she must have hit her head when she fell.

"So I guess it all really happened, huh?" she said, just looking forward.

"I wish I could say it was all a bad dream but I can't. The good news is that no one got seriously hurt," the master sighed.

Lucy wrung her hands. "Look, Master. I know you know Laxus better than I do but I have gotten to know him a little bit better these past few weeks. There's got to be an explanation."

The moment the words left her lips, Laxus himself walked into the infirmary. The Master sighed and stood to his feet. "I suppose we'll find out." He walked over to where the blond was standing. Turning his gaze up to his grandson, he started one of the most difficult conversations of his life. "Do you understand what you have done?"

Laxus seemed deflated, wrapped in bandages as he was. He kept his eyes down.

"Look me in the eyes!"

Laxus met his stare finally. "You don't understand. You've never understood. And I know you won't give me a chance to explain."

"It doesn't matter, Laxus. You went against the good will of the Guild and threatened the lives of your fellow members. No matter what you say, hat is not something that can be forgiven."

Laxus sighed. He knew trying to argue with the old man was futile. He simply believed what he wanted to believe and wasn't going to believe otherwise. None of this mattered. He didn't care if his Grandfather believed him or not. He wasn't here to talk to him—he was here to talk to Lucy.

"You are expelled, Laxus."

The words didn't surprise him. He knew his Grandfather was going to do it the moment things went haywire from his plan. It was either conquer or be conquered and unfortunately, when the scheme fell apart, Laxus expected the latter.

A gasp from the end of the room had Laxus' attention immediately. "I'll leave to two alone," was all the Master could manage to say before he left the room with tears in his eyes.

"Yeah, sorry for the trouble, old man. Take care of yourself." His Grandfather walked past him as Laxus adjusted his coat to better sit on his shoulders. He winced in pain as the bandages dug into his fresh injuries.

The moment they were alone, he walked over to Lucy's cot and took a seat at the chair next to her. "Lucy, I—" he hesitated, completely unsure how to begin. For the last twenty four hours, all he wanted to do was talk to her. Now that she was here and they were alone, he didn't know what to say.

Lucy looked up at him, her brown eyes full of unshed tears. "Is it true, Laxus? Is it true what they said you tried to do?"

The lightning mage grimaced. He hadn't quite expected her to be so blunt. "Lucy, I—."

" _Is it true?!"_ she said more forcefully.

He squared his jaw. He wasn't going to try and lie to her. "Yes, it's true."

She gasped, not wanting to believe what he said. "Why?" was all she managed to say.

"I don't know," Laxus said, being completely truthful. "I completely lost myself. One moment, I was in control of things and then it was as if someone else was controlling me. It wasn't until you called out my name that things clicked back and I was able to get back in control."

"None of that makes sense, Laxus," the girl said, trying to fight back her tears.

Laxus let his head fall between his hands. "I know. Lucy, I wish I could explain it. I just want you to know, I didn't do what they're trying to say I did. Please believe me. I didn't want any of this."

Lucy just shook her head. "I don't—" she hesitated. "I don't think I can believe you, Laxus." Laxus tried not to blanch. The words he was hearing from Lucy was literally tearing his heart out of his chest. "I saw you holding that spell. I saw you twice your size, looking like I've never seen you before. I saw it with my own eyes."

Laxus wasn't proud of it but tears started to well in his eyes. _Not even she believes me? I don't—I don't know how I can take this._

"Lucy, I—I've never felt like this about any one. You're all I think about—almost to the point where I feel insane. You've got to feel it, right? It can't just be me."

His words shook her to the core. She felt as drawn to him as he clearly felt to her. But she had just started her new life with the Guild. Laxus had been expelled. She couldn't hope to start a life with the man after what had just happened.

The pair sat in silence, neither knowing what to say. It was finally Lucy that broke the quiet, choosing not to address everything he just said. "What will you do now?"

Tears dripped between Laxus' hands, landing on the floor between his feet. Pain lanced through his chest and he had to take some time to catch his breath. Finally, Laxus straightened himself to look into her eyes. "I don't know. But I don't think that I can stay here. Not after—" What he really wanted to say was, he didn't think he could stay near her, without being able to have her. But instead he settled for, "not after everything that's happened."

Lucy just nodded, not trusting her own voice.

The man stood. "I guess—" his voice cracked and he cleared it. "I guess I'll see you around then, blondie." Turning around, with each step he took, tears fell from his eyes and somehow he could feel the blonde start to sob behind him.

Her heart wanted him. And with each step he walked away, she wanted to call out his name and take it all back. Tell him how much she had grown to care for him, how much he haunted her dreams, and how much she wanted him. But she knew that she couldn't have him. Not after what had just happened. How could she trust him after what he'd done? He'd threatened her Guildmates—his guildmates—and the risked the safety of the entire city.

She didn't know whether or not she believed what he'd said. Maybe something had cracked within him and he'd lost control but at the end of the day, he was still responsible for his actions. And clearly he needed to figure things out for himself before he was available for any meaningful relationship.

But watching him walk away from her, knowing what she had said had made him cry, tore a hole in her heart. She bit back the need to call out his name and grit her teeth as very real pain lanced through her entire body.

. . .

"Get out! You've got to be kidding me!" Evergreen screamed.

Why are you the only one that's expelled? Aren't we just as guilty?" Bickslow's voice sounded out over the entire park.

"It's what the old man decided," Laxus responded simply. He felt completely numb from everything that happened.

"Then we'll quit! Without you, we're—"

He cut them off. Laxus had already made things difficult for his teammates. He wasn't going to have them sacrificing their positions in the Guild just for him. "You guys are such a pain. Can't you just say goodbye?"

Freed chimed in. "Stop trying to take all the responsibility yourself."

Laxus sighed. They didn't understand. "Unlike you, I don't have any attachments left to the Guild." His mind went straight to Lucy when he said those words. His team looked completely crestfallen. "We'll see each other again," he added.

Evergreen started to sob and Freed moved to comfort his teammate. Bickslow took the opportunity to turn to his friend and leader. "You know you're always welcome at my family home, Laxus. I can call ahead to my father. My brother Kaleb is Master of White Sea. I know you could find work there."

Laxus clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Thanks, Bix. I'm going to take you up on that offer." Laxus had meant to ask Bickslow whether he thought his family might help him get a work visa in Bosco. Not many people in the Guild knew but Bickslow's father was the prominent Ambassador of Bosco, Fiore's neighboring country. White Sea was Bosco's largest and most prominent Guild. Bickslow came from a large and successful family. _Time in Bosco—away from—everything here—would definitely do me well._

Bickslow nodded. "I'll make the call."

END CHAPTER 18

. . .

 


	19. Bosco

. . .

 _Laxus clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Thanks, Bix. I'm going to take you up on that offer." Laxus had meant to ask Bickslow whether he thought his family might help him get a work visa in Bosco. Not many people in the Guild knew but Bickslow's father was the prominent Ambassador of Bosco, Fiore's neighboring country. White Sea was Bosco's largest and most prominent Guild. Bickslow came from a large and successful family._ Time in Bosco—away from—everything here—would definitely do me well.

_Bickslow nodded. "I'll make the call."_

. . .

Laxus looked out the window as the scenery passed him by. Bosco was truly a sight to behold. The Grass Sea was what the country was most famous for. Heavily interwoven strands of grass formed a sort of living blanket across the calm waters of the country. Small islands dotted the waters, many claimed by clans that by tradition still lived on the grassy sea. At night, the entire sea would light up with the bioluminescence of the plants that inhabited it. There was truly nothing quite like it.

Laxus had crossed the border from Fiore into Bosco within a week of being expelled from the Guild. He had taken a few days to get his affairs in order. His teammates used the time to continuously beg him to stay. He didn't actually need to work as a mage when he had other steady sources of income, like Bartab, to back him. However, he knew he needed some time to himself. He'd felt so out of control recently, like his emotions were in a riot. Laxus needed the space to be able to figure things out for himself. Perhaps one day he'd be able to return to his past life.

He'd hired Freed as the manager for Bartab. The man knew how to run a tight ship and he knew he could trust him to handle the management of the business. Evergreen had jumped at the opportunity to house sit—given that she had previously been living in the dorms, so he didn't have to worry about his house. Given that the woman could fly as well, she didn't care that the house was far away from town.

The house was large enough that Bickslow said he would stay there for a while as well, since he was planning to do some renovations to his Brownstone in the Market District. Laxus knew that the Seith found his peace through manual labor and said he'd have no problem with him staying there.

Laxus had gotten in touch with Bickslows father during that time as well. The man had considerable sway within Bosco and had managed to get Laxus a six-month work visa to come into the country. If nothing else, it would at least give him some time away from everything, which he desperately needed.

Given everything that he was leaving behind, it surprised him when the hardest thing was to leave without seeing Lucy once more. He'd tried to keep his distance though. She'd made it pretty clear to him that she wasn't interested. He'd poured his heart out to her—confessing things he'd never dreamed he'd say to a woman and she'd ignored it all—opting to ask him about what his plans were instead.

Where he'd previously harbored feelings bordering on love for the woman, now there was just a dull ache in his heart. As if someone had pulled an elastic too tight and it had snapped back on him. It hurt all too much and he hated that he didn't understand it. He'd had plenty of women in his past but something about Lucy called to him in a way he'd never felt.

There were a few times he'd been out in town, taking in all the sights before he left, and he'd found himself walking past her apartment again. Each time he immediately teleported himself back to his house. He knew that if he lingered and caught her scent, he might not be able to keep himself from trying to see her.

It was another four hours on the train until he reached the nation's capital. In the distance, he could see the sun setting and the lights of the Grass Sea start to glow. He laid he head back against the seat cushion in his compartment. _This is what I need. Time away from—everything._ The last thoughts drifted through his mind before he fell into a troubled sleep.

. . .

"I know how hard this must be for you, Lu," her friend said, trying to comfort her. Lucy had been pretty devastated after hearing the news about Laxus' expulsion. Given that Levy was the only one that knew the extent of their relationship, the bluenette had been spending a good deal of time at the blonde's apartment the last couple of days.

Lucy had told her friend about what Laxus had said to her and how she felt terrible for not being able to respond to him. "I just knew that, if I opened my mouth to say anything else I would have given up everything just to try and be with him. And that's not fair to him or me! Tell me I did the right thing, Levy?" the girl had pleaded.

Her friend shushed her comfortingly, handing her another cup of hot tea. "You did what you thought was best, Lu. That's all you can do."

Lucy sighed. It was getting late and Levy would be heading back to the dorms soon. The evenings were the most difficult. She tried to distract herself by watching movies or writing, but nothing really worked. Lucy felt too exhausted to try and exercise—since that was usually her go to stress relief. More and more she found herself moping around her apartment or confined to her bed for the entire day.

"I should head back before it gets too dark," Levy said, getting up from her chair to pull on her coat. It was October and fall was heavy in the air. Lucy nodded before standing to give her friend a hug.

"Thanks so much for being here for me, Levy." The two exchanged a warm embrace before Levy headed home.

Lucy plopped herself down at her writing desk, intent on writing a letter to her mother. She pulled the curtain back slightly to look at the street below. It was dusk so she could just make out the forms of people without being able to see their face. Her breath hitched as she looked out on the street. She rubbed her eyes, not sure if she had seen what she thought she'd seen. But before she lowered her hands, a crack of thunder pressed against her ears and light flashed before her eyes. When her vision cleared, the man she thought she saw across the canal was gone.

. . .

"Laxus!" The big blond turned at the sound of his name on the train platform. The station was bustling as people moved about, attempting to get where they needed to go on time. As with most places, Laxus towered above everyone slightly so it was easy for him to see. Turning, he saw another man, almost as large as him that he recognized, waving to him.

He grinned, as best he could under the circumstances, and headed in his direction. "Glad to see you!" the man clapped him on the shoulder as he approached. Cristoff Pradesh was Bickslow's adoptive brother. Standing almost as tall as Laxus himself, he had a strong, angular face with piercing midnight blue eyes that held just the smallest hints of silver. He wore his dark hair long, in the traditional Boscan style and although covered by a tight fitting tunic, he sported an intricate tattoo of a wolf howling at a full moon down the right length of his body.

"I didn't expect you to meet me here," Laxus grunted, adjusting the pack on his shoulder.

Cristoff shot him a smile. "It's been years. I wasn't going to miss the chance to greet you myself. Come on, father's waiting back at the house."

Laxus followed the man through the crowd to where the car was waiting at the end of the station. He tried to keep his nerves in check as much as possible. He knew Arman was going to ask him what had happened; he'd expect nothing less. And Laxus had already resolved on the train to tell the man the truth, but the whole situation still felt shameful.

Moving through the crowd he caught the inquisitive eyes of both women and men alike. Boscans very rarely had light hair. Most of the nation's complexion was a tanned skin tone with dark hair. So Laxus, standing as tall and as built as he was with pale skin and blond hair, was quite the sight. Boscans were naturally free people. Originally disjointed clan states, the people had come together to form the country one hundred years prior to protect their interests in the seemingly fast paced world. While Bosco itself managed to keep up and had grown to become a military power in its own right, much of the country still had a traditional feeling to it.

Traditions ran strong through the country and the people embraced them. Clan members who lived on the Grass Sea were given utmost respect, especially when and if they ventured on land. But Boscans were also a proud people. Many born on the Grass Sea had never set foot on solid land. Learning to walk on the woven nets of the Grass Sea was very different from walking on solid earth. However, no one would ever ask a clan member if they needed assistance when they ventured onto what they termed rock. To do so would be an insult.

In every aspect Bosco was different from Fiore. The most glaring was that there was no state endorsed religion. While the military was formed around the Immaculate Light, such a thing was not a religion and was not worshipped. No one in the country truly knew where the Immaculate Light had originated. In the center of a temple of the capital there had always existed a light that would shine constantly within a specific chamber. Anyone who entered that chamber said they had faced judgment of their very being. Members of the Royal Knights, the nation's military and royal guard all had to face judgment and pass through the chamber in order to join the ranks.

But what Laxus was most enlivened about was the women. The women of Bosco were not like any other culture he'd ever known. Free, independent and strong; women in Bosco were raised to be respected and treated as equals among the men. This aspect, combined with the lack of oppressive religion had created a culture that was extremely open when it came to sex and sexuality. There were no draconian views attached to romantic relationships when it came to Bosco. "Pleasure is pleasure," is what the people always said.

As Laxus and Cristoff approached the idling car, one woman, dressed in the traditional veil dress of Bosco, approached the lightning mage. "Are you promised?"

Laxus knew little about Boscan tradition. He looked to Cristoff for some guidance on the question and Cristoff shook his head. "No," Laxus responded, making a mental note to ask Cristoff what that meant in the car.

The woman's eyes lit up. She was quite beautiful. Tanned and toned, she had long dark hair that was parted down the center and pulled back into a low bun. Sheer black chiffon decorated with gold tassels and jewelry covered her body, but left her midriff mostly exposed along with slits up the length of her pants. The material shimmered in the slight breeze, revealing small hints of what was underneath with each rustle.

Her dark brown eyes, brushed with smoky shadow looked up at him and her red lips formed a smile. "Would you like to accompany me to the baths this evening?"

Cristoff tried to hide his smirk. Not even ten minutes into the country and Laxus was already being propositioned. He should have expected it, but what was funnier was to see the man's utter look of confusion. He figured it was about time to jump in and save his friend.

"My friend here is not from Bosco, as you may have guessed." The woman turned to look at Cristoff and gasped as his midnight eyes met her stare.

"Oh I don't mind," the woman said, eyeing Laxus up and down. "I'll be at the Titus later this evening." She hesitated before meeting Cristoff's eyes, "You're welcome to join as well." Cristoff bowed as the woman turned and walked away. Laxus couldn't take his eyes off her. The way she walked was so—sensual.

Cristoff just laughed. "Come on, man."

Laxus turned and followed the man to climb into the car before it took off down the street, heading for the Pradesh family's estate.

"What was that all about?" Laxus asked when they had settled into their seats.

Cristoff raised a brow. "She was propositioning you, Laxus."

"She was _what?_ " Laxus said in disbelief. He knew he was a looker but no woman had ever openly asked him for sex in Fiore.

Cristoff sighed. "Things are a lot different in Bosco, Laxus."

Laxus grunted, a little offended. "I know that. It isn't like I haven't been here before."

"Yes," Cristoff chuckled. "But you were here as a child before. Now you are here as an adult. Don't worry. I suspect father will already have lessons arranged for you with the Sudehpah. And if he doesn't, I highly recommend it."

Laxus had heard of the Sudehpah. They were highly respected as teachers of the sexual arts across Bosco and most, if not all, people who lived in the country took lessons with the Order once they had reached maturity.

He nodded. "And being promised?"

Cristoff shrugged. "I guess it's like being engaged in your country. Boscans take relationship commitments really seriously. It's always something that's asked ahead of any encounter."

Laxus huffed. "I wouldn't necessarily say I _have_ a country any longer."

Cristoff sighed. He had sensed that Laxus was conflicted inside the moment the man stepped onto the train station. While Cristoff had heard some of the news from what had happened in Magnolia, the man was also a healing mage and dragon slayer. As a result, he had empathic abilities along with heightened senses—not much got past him.

He had planned to cast a calming spell over Laxus. His magic was subtle and he doubted that Laxus would be able to detect it. A growl from the lightning mage stopped him as he was drawing his energy to him. "I don't know what you're doing, but you better not try and put me to sleep or some damn shit."

Cristoff laughed. "You caught me. I was just trying to help you relax."

"Yeah well," Laxus hesitated. When he had left on the train, he had promised himself he would try and be less abrasive towards people. "While I appreciate it, I kind of need to work this stuff out on my own."

Cristoff nodded, making a mental note to himself to quiz Laxus about his own heightened senses. Only his sister Emzadi had ever been able to detect when he was about to cast one of his spells—but she herself was a dragon slayer, albeit a second generation but still. The whole thing was very interesting.

"We've arrived," the driver announced, as he opened the door for the men. Laxus winced at the bright sunlight as he exited the car. Looking up at the beautiful white home that sat on the edge of the Grass Sea, he steeled his resolve. _I have to confront what I've done. There's not getting around it anymore._

With that thought in his head, he followed Cristoff through the arched entrance into the shade of the house.

. . .

Laxus groaned as he laid himself out on the large bed. The room he'd been given at the Pradesh home was more than accommodating. A king sized bed was in the center of the far wall. A large balcony overlooked the Grass Sea and at this time of night, the lights reflected brilliantly, giving the entire room a refreshing glow.

Laxus let his arm fall over his head as he tried to clear the memory of the past hour from his mind. Arman Pradesh was no slouch. He was the acting Ambassador for the country and a successful man in his own right. The man had been through a lot in life and knew suffering well. He had lost his wife and infant son in an Embassy attack when he was in his mid twenties. To honor his wife's legacy, he had adopted a total of six children by the time he was thirty and raised them all on his own. His oldest and only living biological son, Farron, had followed in the Ambassador's footsteps and was himself a renowned diplomat for the country. Kaleb was currently Master of White Sea, the country's largest Guild. Bickslow was—well everyone knew Bickslow. Then there was Cristoff and the youngest brother, Vander, was reportedly a specialized mage for the country's ruling elite—the Steel Council. Not much was known about Vander.

He also had two daughters—Xally and Emzadi. Xally was a water mage but was also studying to become a doctor. Emzadi was a solar dragon slayer and was considered a powerhouse mage of White Sea.

So admitting to this man, a man who had lost and gained so much in such a short time, his mistakes had been hard. He had feared that the man would throw him out like his Grandfather had. But he hadn't. Instead, he had accepted him and his apology. Welcomed him to his home and told him that he would have work and friendship for as long as he needed it. The whole thing had just stunned Laxus.

His entire life, Laxus had been shunned. His father was a power hungry asshole and he lost his mother at a young age for reasons that were never quite clear to him. His Grandfather had taken him in after he'd found out about how his father had harmed him in the name of making him stronger but still, Laxus felt removed from everyone. Where all the other children of the Guild were happy playing together and practicing their magic, he never truly felt like he fit.

So for the first time in his life, despite his mistakes, he was welcomed into a large family. He was accepted—just as he was. That's not to say that his mistakes were applauded, but they were understood and they were forgiven.

Arman had said Laxus would be welcome as an adjunct mage in White Sea. The percentage of fees taken out of jobs were slightly higher but Laxus didn't care about any of that. The opportunity to work, to start fresh without people judging him, it meant more than any money he might earn.

At the end of their conversation he'd thanked Arman. The man had stood and pulled him into a bracing hug. "You took Bickslow in when he lost his place in this country. You have always been considered a part of this family."

"Don't tell me you're passing up the chance to be with that woman this evening?" Cristoff said, pausing at the doorway.

Laxus sat up on the bed to give him a look. It was odd, normally he would have jumped at the chance. The woman herself was beautiful. Full curves, luscious lips and dark eyes that promised a good time but, he just wasn't feeling it. He chalked it up to all the changes he was going through. "Why don't you go instead?"

The lunar dragon slayer just shook his head. He had a feeling Laxus was going to be uptight after everything that had happened. It was one of the reasons he had tried to cast a spell that might relax him. "Nah man, after the shit you've been through, trust me when I say you need this. I'll go, but I'll leave that woman to you."

Laxus rolled his eyes. He was being a bitch and he knew it. Cristoff was just trying to help him through everything that had happened in his own way. "Alright," he gruffed.

Cristoff chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder as he walked through the door. "Damn, I've never seen a man grumble about going to get laid. This marks a first!"

END CHAPTER 19

. . .

 


	20. Difficulties

**. . .**

**Difficulties**

. . .

_Laxus rolled his eyes. He was being a bitch and he knew it. Cristoff was just trying to help him through everything that had happened in his own way. "Alright," he gruffed._

_Cristoff chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder as he walked through the door. "Damn, I've never seen a man grumble about going to get laid. This marks a first!"_

. . .

Bathing was an integral part of Boscan society and often time the bathhouses were a focal center for social and recreational activity.

Bathing in the Grass Sea was considered to be restorative and brought Boscans back in touch with nature. As a result, bathing in general had been given an important role throughout the culture's history. Several aqueducts traveled through the town from the Grass Sea, branching off like veins to provide soothing water for the baths. Fire mages had been hired at the turn of the century to imbue lacrima with enough magic to heat the waters continuously without pulling on the country's resources.

The Boscans elevated bathing to a fine art, and their bathhouses physically reflected these advancements. While not strictly enforced, there was a ritual, developed from the ritual of bathing in the Grass Sea, that many still followed. A visitor would first undress before bathing in the waters. He would then exit the baths to a sweat room before receiving a massage (or more) and finally resting. In the larger houses, each step had its own separate room and visitors were led from room to room by skilled and respected bath attendants.

The bathhouses themselves varied from simple to extremely elaborate structures and they varied in size and arrangement as well. Some houses were more akin to meditation centers where a bather would go to sit in the calming waters in silence. Others were social centers where residents would gather to discuss politics and news. Some others were where Boscans went to wash away their stress through pleasure and willing partners were never far to be found.

The Bath of Titus was considered the latter. Located on the edge of the capital city, it was a smaller bathhouse that was close to the edge of the Grass Sea itself. Many found the waters there to be invigorating and it had a reputation for that sort of stress relief. Despite its small size, its walls were covered with intricate frescos depicting the history of specific Boscan clans.

The bath was within walking distance from the Pradesh estate and Cristoff explained all this to Laxus as they walked. The Lunar Slayer had known Laxus since they were teenagers. Cristoff, unlike the dragon slayers in Fairy Tail, had not lost his dragon when the others went into hiding. His dragon, Nurem, had stayed behind to teach and raise him. When asked why, she had told him that she was somehow protected by her mate, whom she had found whereas the others had not.

Not many knew, but Seith magic was forbidden in Bosco. Despite the country's liberal heritage, certain elite on the Steel Council still feared the unknown. As a result, magic like Bickslows had been forbidden and children who were found with it were taken and never heard from again. Arman had done much to conceal Bickslow's magic as a child. However, fate had other plans and after a difficult incident, Bickslow had to be smuggled from the country, unable to return home for fear of being executed.

The Seith was just a teenager at the time. Arman had known Makarov and had contacted him, letting him know his young son would be orphaned and looking for a home and the Fairy Tail Master had been more than gracious in accepting the boy—and in keeping his secret. Laxus and Bickslow had bonded quickly, both having lost families in their short years. Because of this bond, the families had become close and the Pradesh's visited Magnolia as often as schedules would allow.

Bickslow was the only person that knew about Laxus' dual souls. When his father had hurt him that way and been expelled as a result, Laxus was too young to understand. He had thought it was his fault his father had been expelled. Despite the realization as an adult that this was not the case, he'd never really been able to get over the feelings of inadequacy and always blamed himself when things went sour.

So Laxus had been in complete shock when Bickslow asked him why he had two souls one day, clear out of the blue. The lightning mage nearly ran away from his friend in pure terror, not sure what his only friend at the time would think of him. Perhaps he would think less of him, that he was weak because he didn't have magic himself when he was born. But Bickslow hadn't judged him at all. When Laxus worked up the courage to tell him, the man swore he'd keep his secret, and he had—all this time. He hadn't even told his family.

So Cristoff, despite being a slayer himself, had no idea what lurked beneath the surface of Laxus' heart. If he had, he likely wouldn't be explaining to him how the Boscan bathhouses of pleasure worked. "So the bathing is considered a time to explore one another. Get to know her body and work her up in anticipation of what's to come. If you two decide to move further, when you enter the massage chamber, you can dismiss the attendants to have the room for yourself." The man hesitated before adding, "or don't. The attendants themselves are often quite willing. It's more fun that way."

The two men slowed as they approached the house. Bosco was warm in climate and the main chambers of the bathhouses were often open to the elements. The two walked through the white limestone into the open atrium where they were greeted by several bath attendants. The women smiled and Cristoff winked at them.

Titus was one of his favorite places to frequent. Being a slayer, Cristoff knew that he would eventually encounter his mate. As such, he made it a policy not to date unless he felt the clear mating pull, which he still had not felt. So the baths were a perfect compromise for him. Boscans understood that encounters in these places were just meant to be that, encounters and nothing more. And these attendants had both had the opportunity to experience the Lunar Slayer on a few occasions.

"Master Cristoff and honored Guest," one of the women spoke. She was beautiful with fire red hair and freckles dotting her nose. "We are the only attendants servicing the facility today. All rooms are still open for your use, however."

Cristoff flashed a white toothed grin at the woman and she blushed under his midnight eyes as he said thank you. The women directed the pair into the changing area before closing the door behind them.

Laxus seemed tense and Cristoff could feel it in the very air itself. _Maybe he's distracted enough that he won't notice this time._ He pulled the smallest bit of magic into him but a distinct growl had him throwing up his hands.

"I told you, Cris. I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I can't go around relying on you as medication. Whatever I'm feeling," the lightning mage sighed, "I clearly need to feel and process."

Cristoff pulled his tunic over his head, revealing tan skin covered in clan tattoos. He nodded in understanding, not having quite looked at it in that light. "I get you, man. You have my word, I won't try anything else."

Laxus nodded and Cristoff added, "Boscan baths and what they offer are the best places to process." Laxus just sighed. He certainly hoped so.

Walking out into the bathing room itself, the pair was surprised to find the youngest Pradesh brother soaking in the waters himself. "Van?" Cristoff said, sliding into the warm turquois water. "Didn't expect to see you here."

Laxus looked around. _This is considered a smaller bathhouse?_ The structure was beautiful. Columns lined the entire pool and a vaulted ceiling with stained glass let in natural light into the waters below. The sounds of trickling water pouring in from the outlet of the aqueduct was incredibly meditative and the entire place glowed with the gentle blue green of the waters.

"Nothing relieves the stress of work like a good soak," Vander's voice echoed through the stone chamber.

Cristoff smirked. "Like you came here for a soak."

Vander was a notorious playboy, even perhaps worse than Laxus in his prime. Perhaps playboy was the wrong term—women just loved Vander. He was plain fun and both women and men flocked to him. He had this way of making even the most insecure of people feel beautiful and his reputation had fast gotten around. Add to that the mystery factor that no one knew exactly what he did for the Steel Council and he never was wanting for a willing partner. It also didn't hurt that before he was recruited to work as a mage for the Steel Council, he had been recommended for induction into the Sudehpah Order for his "enhanced talents and extraordinary abilities," as recorded on his invitation letter.

"It's been a quiet day, for sure," Vander huffed. "There was one woman but she had indicated she was waiting for someone. That wouldn't have been you Cris, would it?" Vander gave him a raised eyebrow. His wine colored eyes twinkled with mischief as he brushed his black locks back into a tail.

Cristoff shook his head before nodding towards Laxus. "Lightning and the thunder, actually."

Vander gave him a slight smile. "Laxus," he called his name.

The lightning mage turned to meet the youngest brother's eyes. "Hey, Van."

"She excused herself to the sweat room, but she said she'd be back," he explained.

Laxus nodded, finally stepping into the water himself. He sighed in relief as the warm liquid soothed his aching muscles the further in he sank. Cristoff and Vander started chatting about the goings on and White Sea and Laxus pushed himself to the far wall, wanting a bit of quiet for himself. Resting his head against the stone ledge, he looked up at the ceiling. He winced as the stained glass displayed images of a night sky, reminding him of everything he'd left behind.

Closing his eyes, images of Lucy played in front of his eyes and he squeezed them tighter, trying to make himself forget. _She doesn't want you, not after what you did. You gave her the chance, and she avoided the question._ Despite it all, he still had trouble shaking her image from his head.

"I'm glad you showed up," the image of Lucy said in his mind. He hesitated—that wasn't Lucy's voice. Opening his eyes, he remembered where he was as the image of the woman from earlier came into view. She was sitting down on the stone next to him, completely bare of him to see.

For any other man, she'd be the image of beauty. Her breasts were like beautiful tear drops, dusted with the fairest shade of pink at their tips. Her tanned skin and dark hair were both silky smooth and the curve of her thighs were pressed together, hiding what was no doubt a beautiful flower.

Sex had always been the great reliever of stress for Laxus, he shared that with the Boscans. Anytime he had been stressed, he would seek out female company and sweat his fears and insurities out through the ego boost that was having a woman scream his name during an orgasm he made her feel. So it was odd that he was delaying with this woman. What was being offered to him was one of the prime reasons he had chosen Bosco for his exile—to fuck and forget. So why was he hesitating?

He tried to push it aside. Maybe action was what was needed in this instance. Pushing himself up to stand in the waters, he stood so that she spread her thighs to accommodate his muscled torso. At any other junction, he would have said some cocky remark like, "I bet you are." But today, he didn't want to talk. He brushed his hand against the woman's face and she leaned in to his touch.

He let his hand fall, barely touching her smooth skin as he began to explore her body. She sighed at his attention, closing her eyes and letting her head fall back. With each new stroke, he was waiting for himself to start feeling something. When she came into the waters with him—he waited. When she straddled his waist and squeezed him with her thighs—he waited. When she kissed him, working her soft lips over his thin ones—he waited. When she guided his hand towards her sex—he waited. But it never happened.

He was hard, yes. His body still worked the way it was supposed to, but it didn't feel good. It felt empty, like there was something missing. Like this was wrong and it scared him.

He looked across the pool. Vander was entangled with one of the bath attendants while Cristoff had moved to the other corner of the waters. Their eyes met briefly and Cristoff immediately sensed Laxus discomfort, being the empath that he was. He swam over to the couple, slowly working his way in, bringing his arm up the back of the woman as she moaned at the new touch. "I had hoped you would join," she mewled before Cristoff claimed her mouth for a searing kiss.

The Lunar Slayer gracefully pulled the woman off of Laxus to intertwine her with his own body. Grateful, Laxus swam to the edge of the pool and began to exit. "What about your friend?" the woman managed to moan through Cristoff's practiced touches.

"I don't think he's feeling all that well. Am I not enough for you, angel?" Cristoff said in a smooth voice.

She shook her head. "More than enough. Perhaps he will feel better next time. Shall we move to the massage room?"

Cristoff didn't respond but merely grasped her hand and pulled her out of the water with him. He cast a concerned look back at Laxus as he watched the man return to the changing area.

When the blond reached the changing area, he sat down heavily on the bench, his erection easily subsiding. He felt like he couldn't breathe. His throat was constricting as he attempted to suck air into his lungs that wouldn't come. His hands shook as he tried to steady them on his knees and get control of himself all the while his body began to sweat violently.

About an hour later, Cristoff emerged back into the changing area to find Laxus a nervous wreck on the bench. Even someone without empathic abilities would have been able to sense that something was wrong. Cristoff moved towards the blond and Laxus visibly recoiled. "You smell like her," Laxus growled under his breath.

Cristoff's brow furrowed. Something was seriously up with the lightning mage and he wasn't going to have this conversation here. He drew magic to him and before Laxus finished saying, "don't you fucking dare—," "sleep, Laxus" had left Cristoff's lips and the large man slumped forward in his first blissful sleep of weeks.

Laxus awoke to the morning sun filtering through the sheer white curtains of his room. Cristoff was there within a minute of him waking, giving him a concerned look. "You fucking didn't," Laxus growled in agitation as he sat up, leveling his friend a hard glare.

"I did and it was for the best," Cristoff held his eyes, not backing down.

Laxus chuckled. _Well at least he had the pleasure of dragging my ass back to the house. I bet he didn't think that one through._

"And if you're wondering how you're back here safely, Vander simply transported you through his shadows. It wasn't an inconvenience at all," Cristoff added, sensing the larger man's cockiness.

 _Fuck!_ Laxus had forgotten that Vander was a Shadowquip, able to manipulate shadows in ways quite unrecorded. Just like he could ride the charges of his own lightning and teleport people along with him, Vander could do the same with his own shadows.

"Laxus," Cristoff cleared his throat. "I spoke with Bickslow."

Laxus audibly groaned. Speaking in a serious manner with Bickslow was never a good thing.

"I put a question to Bickslow that he refused to answer." Laxus froze. There was only one secret that Bickslow held of his. "Are you a Dragon Slayer?"

END CHAPTER 20

. . .

 


	21. Instincts

It’d been a week since she’d last seen traces of Laxus around town.  She didn’t even have to ask his former teammates; somehow she already knew he had left town.

She tried to smack herself out of her moping.  Lucy had forced herself to go to the Guildhall today.  Levy had become worried about her, constantly moping around her apartment and turning down jobs with Team Natsu.  “Just come to the Guild tomorrow, Lulu.  I think it would do you some good,” her friend had said before she left for the evening.

“Okay, I’ll try,” Lucy had responded, giving her a hug before walking her through the door.

Besides Levy, Cana was the only one that knew about Lucy’s little tryst.  The card mage had tried to pry details out of her but Lucy had been unwilling to spill.  But even if the blonde didn’t want to share the details, Cana knew above all she needed a night out to get over whatever was bothering her.

Sliding up next to her at the bar, Cana took a swig of rum from a flask before pouring a bit into Lucy’s milkshake.  “Cana!” the girl shouted at her.

Cana snickered. “It’ll do you some good. Pre-gaming starts now.  We’re going out tonight.”

“No, we’re not,” Lucy huffed, trying to swirl the offending liquid into her smoothie to hide the taste.

Cana just laughed and responded, “Yes, we are.  You’ve been moping around for the last week.  You need some _action_ honey.  Don’t fight it.  Mama’s just trying to take care of you.”

Lucy sighed and looked for backup from Mira as the barmaid walked over.  “You know, I hate to say this, but Cana may be right,” Mira said in her baby voice.

 _Fuck all of you_ , Lucy thought crassly.  “What’s got you in such a mood anyways?” the brunette asked, taking another drink from her bottle.

Lucy just shook her head. “I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“It wouldn’t have anything to do with,” the girl began to sing, “lightning and the thunder—would it?”

Mira raised an eyebrow, clearly interested.  Levy was sitting at a nearby table, still holding her book up but listening to the conversation going on at the bar.  At those words, she slammed the book down.  “Cana! A word please?”

This was exactly why Lucy hadn’t wanted to come to the Guild.  She turned to look at her friend.  “No, it’s okay, Levy.”  She faced Cana.  “Fine, we’ll go out.”

“Whoo!” her friend hollered in excitement.

Lucy interjected, “But no Bartab!”  Cana opened her mouth as if she were going to say something but Lucy cut her off.  “And don’t ask why or the whole thing’s off.”

“Okay, okay,” the woman huffed before pouring more rum into Lucy’s drink.

. . .

Lucy met up with Cana later that evening at the Guild.  The brunette said she had a place picked out already that Lucy would love but to meet at the hall and they would go together.  Not being one to fight with Cana or her usual half baked plans, Lucy shrugged and did as she was told.

She’d managed to put herself together enough to look decent.  Her long hair was pulled into a side tail and sported a neat ribbon.  She wore a pleated skirt and pink crop top, which was rather tame for her style.

Cana showed up, sporting her usual blue bikini top and brown capris.  “Come _on_ Lu, when have you ever _not_ had fun with me?” the woman droned, grasping her hand and pulling her out the door.  Cana stopped and sobered for a moment, pulling Lucy into a quick hug. “Look, I don’t know what happened to you and why you’re so down but just know, you can talk to me, okay?”

Lucy hugged her friend back. The woman really did have the best intentions, despite her weird way of showing it.  “Thanks Cana.”  Feeling a bit more chipper, she added, “Okay, so where are we going?”

“Oh! Just you wait!” Cana said excitedly.   The women walked silently and Lucy furrowed her brow as she noticed they were heading further and further away from the center of town.

“Uh, Cana?” she hesitated. “Where exactly are you taking me?”

“Here it is!” Cana exclaimed.  Lucy looked around but didn’t see anything.

“Here what is?”

Cana snorted.  “The best dive bar in town!  Come on!” she said, motioning to Lucy to follow her through an unmarked door to a rather homey looking building.

Walking into the place, Lucy was immediately affronted by the smell of smoke and booze.  The place itself was quite literally a hole in the wall; one room that was about ten feet wide and traveled back a good distance. A wooden bar ran the length of the room and leather chairs lined its distance.  Small tables sat across the opposite wall where a few people were eating rather sad looking meals. Odd varieties of pictures dotted the walls, hung with no rhyme or reason and two ceiling fans were on low, only moving the smoke and booze filled air around.

“Isn’t it great?” Cana just beamed looking at the place.  “You’re the only person from Fairy Tail I’ve ever brought here.  It’s kind of my secret getaway.”

Lucy’s eyes widened and she forced a smile on her face.  She could do this for her friend, who was sharing something clearly dear to her in an effort to cheer her up.  “It’s perfect, thanks Cana!”

“Come on, there’s two open stools!” Cana said, grabbing Lucy by the wrist and dragging her along to the end of the bar.  Lucy took the end seat as Cana sat next to her, flagging down a bartender.

“Cana!” the man behind the counter greeted her warmly.  “The usual?”

“Add one long island for my friend, on my tab please,” Cana said with a wink.

“Night’s on me!” Cana said, turning to her friend. Lucy tried to protest but Cana just waived her friend off.  “Nah nah nah. You’ve been having a rough time of it.  The least I can do is bring you out, fill you with liquor and try and get you laid.”

“Cana, I don’t think I’m really up for that last part,” Lucy said honestly.

Cana snickered. “You just wait until you see some of the meat that shows up here.  Then tell me if you feel the same way.”

Lucy rolled her eyes and just smiled at her friend’s antics. Cana didn’t understand—how could she.  When Laxus left, Lucy had felt a very real pain.  As if something had snapped against her heart.  It made her doubt everything about herself and struck a blow to her confidence.  She had thought she’d done the right thing when she’d given Laxus the space he needed after his exile.  Trying to tie him to her, to Magnolia, when he wasn’t allowed at the Guild wouldn’t have been fair to him.  It only would have caused him further pain and she wasn’t going to do that to him.

But when he left—when she knew he really had left—she’d felt it, and it hurt.  She’d felt depressed and exhausted ever since, as if a cloud had formed over her very being.  So while she appreciated Cana’s well wishes, she knew that a little alcohol and a potential rebound wasn’t really the medicine she needed right now.  Getting over Laxus was going to take real time, she knew that. 

Out of instinct, she reached up to rub her neck.  The very physical wound he’d left not too long ago was finally starting to heal. It had taken so long that she was starting to worry but looking in the mirror this morning, she’d started to see the slightest of scabs forming over the puncture marks.  But the entire process itched and was constantly irritating the hell out of her.

By the time the bartender returned with their drinks, Cana was already chatting with some guy she clearly knew.  Lucy wasn’t paying much attention, but the word “Wild” kept popping up in their conversation, which she thought was odd.

She felt eyes on the back of her and she turned to meet an extremely intense pair of purple eyes. Lucy looked away immediately, not wanting to be impolite but when she felt his gaze stay on her, she turned again to look back at him.  The man was sitting at one of the smaller tables, leaning against the back wall and his eyes hadn’t moved off of her.

His maroon hair was swept up and a tight black shirt stretched over his broad chest, all under a striking white coat.  Lucy had trouble looking away; it was as if she were staring down some sort of predator. The man cocked his head to the chair beside him, signaling Lucy to join him.

It was as if something within her moved her body of her own accord.  She moment he locked eyes with her, it was as if she fell under some spell and when he motioned for her to join him, she had no choice but to comply. “Cana, I’m—bye,” was all she managed to say before heading over to the chair beside this mystery man.

Cana just smiled, assuming Lucy had found a “piece of meat” she had referred to, before continuing her conversation with her own piece—they were currently debating who could drink the most.

“Name’s Cobra. Yours?” 

“Lucy,” the woman said with a dazed stare.  Cobra had sensed the woman the moment he entered the bar—a half mated female.  A dragon slayer himself, while he only possessed a dragon lacrima, he’d done what he could to torture information out of those who had put it into him and he’d learned a thing or two.

Unmated females, such as this one, were extremely rare.  It didn’t make sense.  Where was her slayer? Most slayers wouldn’t allow their mates to leave their side, much less go into public while in the midst of a mating process.  And for good reason—they radiated sexual energy and pheromones.

Maybe some slayers would respond to their human side and recognize that someone else had put a claim on this woman and she wasn’t available, despite the urge to mark her. But Cobra wasn’t some slayers.  He didn’t give a flying fuck about that shit. He fully embraced his venomous twin soul and if it said mark he would fucking mark.  _It’s the douche’s fault for leaving her alone like this anyways._  

He licked his lips. He’d come to this bar looking for a lay. Things were about to get stressful for his Guild—the Oracion Seis.  They were in Magnolia gathering intel on a new reported coalition of regular Guilds, formed to take out dark Guilds, like his.

All this covert stuff got him seriously worked up. Cobra had a special type of magic that allowed him to hear people’s souls.  Given this, he was frequently used for these sorts of missions.  Sitting in a crowded area near a point of contact and just listening usually revealed heaps of information.  But he hated it.  He hated being around people and lowering his shields to let everyone’s petty problems fill his head always gave him a migraine.

The only thing he ever found that worked was to fuck a woman completely senseless so that the only thing her soul sang was his name.  And just his luck that—Lucy, was it?—was here.  With her being so receptive to dragon slayer magic without her bond fully formed, Cobra was going to have one hell of a good night.

“Hey Lucy.  Why don’t you come over here and let me get to know you a bit better?” Cobra chuckled internally.  This woman clearly didn’t know, but with an unsealed bond, she was incredibly receptive to slayer magic and influence.  She’d be drawn to it like a moth to flames and at this stage, it didn’t matter which slayer.

“Okay,” was her simple response before getting up and swinging her legs over him to straddle his lap.

Cobra didn’t waste any time. He moved in, claiming the woman’s mouth and roaming her body.  He idly remembered that there was a small bathroom or the back alley he could use for when he wanted to fuck her senseless. But there was time for that, for right now, his dragon’s soul was driving him to wipe the other man’s scent off her body and replace it with his own.  _Less competition.  Claim this woman.  It will kill her mate!_

Cobra’s fangs elongated as his tongue began to travel the length of her pulse.  Each time he passed over her healing mating mark, he snickered internally.  _Whoever this slayer was, he was a fool!_   His hands came up to cup her breasts, not caring about her modesty in the dimly lit bar.  She responded on instinct by pressing her core against his growing erection.

“Oh, Laxus,” she moaned as his touch became more insistent.

 _Laxus, eh?  Thunder God extraordinaire is a dragon slayer.  And he’s left his half claimed mate roaming the streets of Magnolia. How interesting?_ Cobra didn’t have much time for his human side to think before his dragon reared.  _Do it now! Claim her! Her slayer is strong! This will eliminate a dangerous rival!_

Lucy was in a daze. One moment she was sitting in a dingy bar with Cana and the next, she had turned and behind her Laxus was sitting at the table—her Laxus.  Her mind was trying to tell her that it couldn’t possibly be him but—it all felt so real.   It had to be him.  He must not have left—or he came back—it didn’t matter, he was here!

And he was touching and kissing her like he wanted her.  He wasn’t angry that she had rejected him.  He had come back to her and she wasn’t going to reject him twice—she simply didn’t have the strength.

“Oh Laxus,” she moaned as his hands cupped her breasts. Something inside her noted that the touch wasn’t quite right, he didn’t have her writhing like he normally did, but she pushed it down.  Laxus was here!

“Come on, baby.  Let’s go find somewhere private,” the man said, standing up and leading her towards the back door of the bar.

“Yes! Please Laxus! Take me wherever!” she responded.

Cobra snickered at her response.  “Oh I plan to.”

He opened the back door to the alley and shoved the woman outside.  She had a stupid grin on her face as he turned her around and pressed her into the wall.  His hand came up to cup her backside as she pushed against him.  Reaching down with his other hand, he started to undo his belt. He was going to fuck this woman into next week, set a bite in her neck and take out the Thunder God all in one go? He felt fucking high.

He was so into trying to get his belt to unhook that he hadn’t noticed the Seith standing at the end of the alley taking a smoke break.  He hadn’t noticed his eyes flash green as he looked between the two’s souls. He hadn’t seen the anger flare as the man realized exactly what this situation was.  And he hadn’t seen the fist coming as it slammed directly into his jaw.

. . .

Lucy woke to the sound of birds chirping.  She groaned as she rolled over in what she realized was definitely not her bed.  She panicked, trying hard to remember what had happened the night before at the bar with Cana but everything after she got there was a complete blur.

She looked around the room—and panicked again. She knew this room—this was—this was, _Oh my god, I’m at Laxus’s house! How did I—I have to—_

“Hey Cheerleader! Glad to see you’re finally awake!”  Her eyes widened as Bickslow walked through the bedroom door.  She grasped the covers close to her, not sure what state of dress she was in before she felt underneath and sighed, realizing she was still wearing her outfit from last night.

She looked at the Seith mage in front of her.  He was completely different from how she’d last seen him.  All his armor was off as well as his visor.  Without the offending medal, she could see he had midnight blue hair, cropped short against his head and sported a rather interesting tattoo of a person across the center of his face.  His eyes were large and curled upwards at the ends and if she looked closely, she could see that his irises were beautiful concentric circles surrounding his pupils.

With all the extra layers off, she could see his lithe and toned body beneath his spandex workout gear. His black compression tee was stretched out over his broad chest and was tucked into a slightly loose pair of athletic pants.  If she wasn’t panicking for her life, she would have found him downright sexy.

“Why am I here? How am I here? What the hell is going on?” she nearly screamed.

Bickslow half expected this. He’d been at that dive bar himself. The man shared Cana’s bad habit of drinking (and in his case, smoking) his troubles away and when Laxus had left, he’d been drowning his sorrows every night at the dive.  He’d been out having a smoke and trying to get some fresh air when he’d seen Lucy pushed into the alley by a man he didn’t recognize.

While Bickslow was raised in Bosco and wasn’t going to interfere with a woman if she wanted a good time, the whole thing felt off.  Lucy seemed like she was in some sort of daze and the man had an aura about him that just oozed bad news. Bickslow had looked around, and seeing no one, he’d briefly used his Seith magic to look at their souls—and what he’d found had him enraged.

It had taken him all of two seconds to clear the distance and land a punch straight into the man’s jaw. The asshole had been so engrossed in his sick fantasy that he hadn’t seen it coming and it knocked him clean out. Bickslow hadn’t even bothered to let someone in the bar know; he was so disgusted he’d left the man face down unconscious in the alley.  He hoped when he came to, all his shit had been stolen.

He’d summoned his babies, picking Lucy up in her dazed state and flew her back to Laxus’ house where he was currently staying.  Bickslow didn’t know where the woman lived and he didn’t want to invite questions by bringing her to the Guild.  Clearly the woman was going through some shit and he respected a person’s privacy.  He’d texted Cana, letting her know what happened and that he had the blonde, but also letting her know she had seriously fucked up where her friend was concerned.  Cana had tried calling in the morning but besides answering to say Lucy was fine, Bickslow had rejected all her calls.

He moved towards the panicked woman slowly.  “Can I sit with you? I can explain a lot I think you’re missing.”

Lucy tried to take calming breaths.  This Bickslow didn’t seem so bad.  Maybe she should listen to what he had to say.  She nodded hesitantly and he grabbed a nearby chair and brought it to the edge of the bed.

Lucy waited for him to start and he scratched the back of his head, uncertain where to begin.  “So like, that guy last night—“

Lucy gave him a confused look before saying, “What guy?”

Bickslow widened his eyes. “Oh fuck, so you don’t.  Of course you don’t remember anything.  Okay so, look, it’s like this.   There are dragons and then there are their slayers.  You know? And so the two share this bond, like mating sort of, but not.  It’s a ritual and involves bites, two to be exact.  And the bond takes time to form and others can move in on their territory and stuff.  And so like, that guy, he was a dragon—err sorry, a slayer—and he was trying to move in on another’s territory.”

Bickslow smiled, nodding his head slightly as he applauded himself for covering all the bases. Evergreen had been sitting downstairs when she heard the man start his rather nervous explanation.  He had told her everything earlier in the morning and had expressed nervousness about breaking the news to the sweet celestial mage. Evergreen had assured him he’d deliver the important points just fine given his familiarity with the subject from being around Cristoff and his dragon, but perhaps she’d been too optimistic.

Walking up the stairs, she winced as the words started to jumble together and get worse.  Walking into the room, she hid her small giggle at Lucy’s confused face before smacking Bickslow lightly on the head with her fan.

“Can you translate, Evergreen?” Lucy looked at her with pleading eyes.

“What he means to say, my dear, is that dragon slayers follow similar mating rituals as dragons. They are fated to one person—their mate—and when they find them, they will begin a mating ritual.   The ritual involves two bites—the first will set the intention and make the mate receptive to the slayer’s magic and advances.  But it’s tricky because a mate with one bite will be receptive not only to her slayer’s magic, but to all dragon slayers. While uncouth for humans, for dragons, this was a way of extending their control and growing their families.  But slayers have this drive as well.  It is not until the second bite when the bond is cemented and the two’s souls are bound.  So while you don’t remember it, there was another dragon slayer last night that tried to mark you.  You were lucky Bickslow found you when he did,” Evergren explained slowly.

Lucy still looked confused. She shook her head.  “I’m sorry, Evergreen, but what’s this got to do with me?”

She exchanged worried glances with Bickslow.  “Sweetheart, we thought you knew?  You’ve been marked.  That bite on your neck, while fading now, is proof of it.”

Lucy still looked perplexed, so Bickslow added, “Lucy, you’re Laxus’ mate.”

END CHAPTER 21


	22. Origins

Panic welled up within Laxus’ chest and he tried to tamp it back down.  If he was serious about improving himself during this time away from Magnolia, he knew that the first step was being honest.

He met Cristoff’s midnight blue stare full on.  “Yes.”

The Lunar Slayer furrowed his brow.  “How?”

“My father implanted me with an illegal lacrima imbued with the soul of a lightning dragon.”  Laxus scoffed.  “The asshole didn’t know quite what he was doing though.  As you can see from my scar.” Laxus pointed to his eye.

Cristoff shook his head in disbelief at what he was hearing.  “So you didn’t have any magical abilities and he implanted you with a lacrima?”

Laxus nodded.  “That about sums it up.”

“Laxus,” Cristoff took him by the shoulders.  “It’s amazing you’re alive.  People born without magic abilities, they don’t have magic circuits.  They must have been laying dormant in your body and he blew them open when he put that lacrima in you.  It could have _killed_ you.”

Laxus never really knew the specifics of how it had been done.  He just knew that it had been the worst pain of his life and he’d passed out half way through.  When he’d come to, he was no longer in the care of his father, but rather, his grandfather and his father had been exiled.

“How did you even learn to control it?” Cristoff asked, sitting back down.

Laxus shrugged.  “I made do somehow.”  He looked to the side, breaking his gaze with the Lunar Slayer. “But, if I’m being honest, I don’t think I have as much control as I should.”  Cristoff stayed silent, hoping that his friend would continue, which he did. “Everything that happened, it was like I was possessed.  Like something took control of my body and was making me do things I didn’t want to. Nothing was supposed to happen the way it did that way.  Believe me or don’t, but I really lost myself that day.  I never intended to hurt anyone.”

Cristoff nodded his head in understanding, his dark hair swaying gently from his actions.  “It was your dragon’s soul.  Something must have awakened it and without formal teaching on how to control it, it took over.”

“Did you get that training?” Laxus put the question to his friend, hopeful that the man might be able to help him.  But he deflated as Cristoff shook his head.

“No.  I’m a first generation slayer.  I was taught Dragon Slaying magic by an actual dragon, much like Natsu was.  Neither of us have dragon souls within us,” the man explained.

Laxus rolled his shoulders. “Great, so I’m a one-of-a-kind freak.” He got out of bed and began pacing the floor to let out some of his frustration at hearing this.  _If I’m the only one that has this—second soul—within me, how the hell am I ever going to learn to control it?_

Cristoff remained seated, his head resting on his hand.  “I don’t know for sure,” he finally spoke, “but I would imagine many of the control mechanisms I learned from Nurem should be of use to you.  Dragon Slayer magic is quite unstable and a Slayer is taught how to control it through practiced techniques.  It’s worth a shot for you to learn, if nothing else.”

Laxus nodded his agreement. “There’s something else,” Cristoff continued.  Laxus stopped his pacing to meet his friend’s stare.  “With you magic circuits being ripped open the way they were, they’re likely full of scar tissue.  It could be blocking the flow of magic energy within you.”

The big blond shrugged. “Not much can be done about that now.”

Cristoff sighed.  “Did you forget, Laxus? The crux of my magic is _healing_ magic.  I should be able to repair the damage.”

Laxus’ eyes widened. “Shit, yeah. I’m all for it if you think you can.”

Cristoff nodded. “It’s not so simple though.  When I repair the passageways, the flow of magic will course through your body.  It could be painful and—“ he hesitated, “it could open your third origin.”

Laxus was dumbstruck for a few seconds.  Despite his outward appearance, he wasn’t a complete slouch when it came to studying magic. He knew that a wizard was equipped with up to three origins from birth but two remained closed.  Through practice and meditation, a wizard could open the second, which would allow them to use more powerful spells as well as use their magic for longer periods of time.  However, very few wizards were ever successful in opening their third origins and while rumors floated around that a few of the wizard saints had succeeded, nothing had ever been confirmed in Fiore.

Opening his second origin had been painful enough.  When a magic origin opened, it did so all at once and magical energy would pour into it like a damn breaking.  The increased power through the wizard’s body could be incredibly painful until the body had time to adjust.  And it was rumored that the third origin was the largest of the three, each origin increasing in size.  Laxus cringed.  If opening his third origin was anything like opening his second origin had been, he knew he was in for a world of pain.

 _But if it means I’ll have better control of my magic, better control over_ myself _and whatever is inside of me, I have to do it._   Laxus steeled his resolve. “I say go for it.”

Cristoff stood smiling. “If it works, you’ll rival Kaleb in strength, you know that?”

Laxus smirked. “Pretty soon they’ll be making me a Wizard Saint of Bosco.”

Cristoff lost composure and snorted.  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, old friend.  You’re still only on a six month visa.”  The two laughed as they headed downstairs for breakfast.

As the two entered the large kitchen, they saw Vander sitting at the table, his black hair down and blowing in the slight breeze from the open balcony door.  He was shirtless in just a pair of athletic pants, a look one didn’t often see Vander in given he made most of his clothing out of his own shadows.  “I see Zues is finally awake.”

Laxus rolled his eyes at the obvious “God of Lightning” reference.  “I’m surprised to see you here, Van.  Two days we’re graced with your presence.  It’s a little disconcerting,” Cristoff said with a smirk as he joined his younger brother at the table for a cup of coffee.  Laxus went to the far countertop to grab a plate and filled it with a variety of fruits and cheeses that had been laid out.

Vander was never one to miss a battle of the wits.  “I’m starting to feel like you don’t appreciate my company, dearest brother.”

Cristoff scoffed. “Hardly.  It’s just that when you’re here so much, it makes Farron nervous.”

“Oh, and why’s that?” Vander said, taking a sip of his coffee.

With a twinkle in his eye, Cristoff replied, “because if you aren’t out causing trouble, our dearest diplomat of a brother might be out of a job.”  The two laughed and Laxus couldn’t help but crack a smile at the brothers’ antics as he joined them at the table.

“So Cris,” Vander said, swiping a piece of cheese off Laxus’ plate.  Laxus growled in response but Vander just laughed.  He’d been around a possessive dragon slayer his entire life and knew how to mess with them.  “New moon occurred just over a week ago.  That would put the full moon at a week from today? Would it not?”

Cristoff rolled his eyes. “What have you got planned this time, Vander?”

Vander gave his brother a wolfish grin.  “So happy you asked.”

Laxus interrupted. “What’s all this shit about the moon?”

“Oh, you don’t know?” Vander said, standing to grab some of his own food from the countertop. Cristoff audibly sighed.

Laxus squinted his eyes at the jokester.  “No, that’s why I asked.”

Vander loved messing with dragon slayers, almost as much as Bickslow did.  “You see, my dearest brother Cristoff draws his magical power from the moon.  When there’s a full moon, he becomes completely drunk on magical energy.”

“So?” Laxus said, popping a few grapes into his mouth.

“So,” Vander drawled before taking a seat again, “Cris loses complete control of his empathic abilities and draws crowds of willing partners for miles.  It’s quite the party, if you’re up for that sort of thing.” Vander raised an eyebrow at the lightning mage.  He knew the man was from Fiore and that country had their odd reservations about sex. Laxus had always seemed a bit beyond those hang ups, but then Vander had seen him hand off a beautiful woman to Cristoff and leave the bathhouse alone, so he wasn’t sure.

He’d heard the conversation the two men had had upstairs.  Laxus having a dragon lacrima inside him wasn’t the craziest thing he’d ever heard in his line of work but it was pretty far up there.  But that still didn’t explain the man’s clear discomfort yesterday.  Vander had just shrugged it off though.  _Fiore must be getting to him after all.  Well, maybe with Cris’s full moon on the horizon, he can move past that._

“So what do you say?” Vander asked with a coy smile.

“Sounds like fun,” Laxus said, trying not to sound stiff.  The entire situation yesterday still bothered him.  He had a willing woman in his arms and he didn’t want to do a damn thing with her.  He tried to shake the feeling.  Maybe what he needed was a night completely devoted to sex to get him over whatever this hang up was.

Cristoff groaned.  “I feel completely abused by you two.”  He said it sarcastically.  If everyone was being honest, Cristoff’s full moon escapades were the stuff of legend.  Word had gotten out around the capital about them and people often attempted to guess where the Lunar Slayer would be in order to be asked to participate. Completely overcome with magical energy, and being the happy drunk that he was, Cristoff’s empathic abilities would flow out of him like a flood and wash over people for miles around.

Senses were heightened and pleasure intensified as their mind would drink down the good vibes that Cristoff was releasing.  Quite often people reported having hallucinations of reliving their best memory or of having their deepest desires fulfilled.  But once word got out, Cristoff had also become a target.  Being in the line of work he was, Vander had gotten wind of underground intentions to feed off the magic for their own benefit. No one would ever dream of trying to kidnap Cristoff-he was a member of the Royal Guard; doing so would mean certain death.  That is—if they could kidnap him in the first place; the man was a powerhouse in his own right and while drunk on full moons, his magic power was at its peak and he had very few inhibitions during that time.

But concerns over the public’s safety had come into play recently given these rumors.  So Vander had suggested using his penthouse in the center of the city for these nights, given how heavily runed it was.  No magical energy would escape to wash over the surrounding areas and heightened security at the door and a controlled access building could limit how many people were allowed to the top floor.

“Anyways, Van.  Laxus and I have some healing and training to do before all that goes down.”

“I’m flattered you think I’m so strong, Cris. But even I cannot stop the waxing of the moon.” Vander cocked his head teasingly.

Cristoff sighed.  “Not what I was getting at.  If you see father or Kaleb, let them know Laxus won’t be heading to White Sea today as originally planned.”

Vander waived off the explanation of reasons.  “I heard.”

“Correction, you were spying.”

“Correction, I _am_ a spy,” Vander smirked over his coffee.

“Oh is that what you do?” Cristoff said in a teasing voice.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Vander responded without missing a beat.  Laxus simply sat at the table, enjoying the free show that came with his breakfast.  “Anyways, Cris, Bix called.  Said he wanted to touch base with you.”

Cristoff nodded. “I’ll call him later.  I want to get started training with Laxus.”

“Alright well, I’m off,” Vander said.  Before the two men had a chance to say goodbye, the shadowquip disappeared, leaving behind a black mist that cleared within seconds.

“He always like that?” Laxus grunted, finishing the rest of his breakfast.

Cristoff chuckled. “Usually worse.  I think he’s on good behavior because you’re here.”

Laxus rolled his eyes. “How kind of him.”

“You ready to get started?” Cristoff asked, bringing his and Vander’s plates to the sink.

Laxus stood, clearing his own plate.  “Definitely.”

. . .

The days had blurred together for the lightning slayer.  Cristoff had started off teaching him some of the basic techniques for controlling dragon slayer magic.  Even after a couple short lessons, Laxus already felt better in tune with himself and his body.  He was starting to hear fragments of what his dragon soul was saying to him and that gave both men growing confidence that their plan was working.

By the fourth day, both men agreed that Laxus had gained sufficient control over his magic to attempt healing his magic circuits.  Thankfully, given Cristoff’s healing magic, the Lunar Slayer was able to put Laxus into a state of deep sleep while he worked.  Laxus still felt the discomfort of what he was doing, but it was definitely not as painful as it would have been without the sedative.

Cristoff had warned the lightning slayer that if his third origin were to open, he would not be able to interfere with any sort of pain numbing.  “To do so would risk interfering with the free flow of your magic. It could damage your circuits and we’d be back to square one.”  Laxus had nodded in understanding.   “I don’t know how long the pain will last. So far, Kaleb’s the only one with his third origin open.  And that happened while he was bathing in Immaculate Light and he doesn’t remember any of it.  So, the pain could be present and subside quickly as your body adjusts or—“

Laxus interjected. “Or it could last a very long time. Cris, I know.  I signed up for this, it’s okay.  Do what you can and I’ll be okay.”

The men had had this conversation before Cristoff had put Laxus under to work on his circuits.  If the healer had his guess, once enough circuits were healed and the magic was flowing better through his body, the pressure would build quickly and the third origin would open, wrenching Laxus out of his sleep.

And Cristoff wasn’t wrong. It had happened so quickly, Cristoff barely had enough time to pull all of his magic out of Laxus’ body so not to impede what the lightning magic needed to do.  Laxus’ eyes flew open and he let out a roar that shook the very ground they were standing on.

The men had opted to set up sort of a mobile hospital for Cristoff do to his work far away from the house.  Cristoff had written runes around the area, as neither was quite sure what would happen if Laxus’ third origin did open.  The Lunar Slayer immediately teleported himself outside the runes, riding the light particles of the moonlight much like Laxus rode charges of electricity.  He could still sense what was happening to his friend but outside the runes he was safe from harm if Laxus’ lost control of his magic.

Electricity flared, testing the strength of the runes.  Light flashed before Cristoff’s eyes and the crack of thunder drowned out the screams of his friend.  Despite the violent scene before him, he knew that Laxus was still okay.  He could sense the man’s vitals and he was still strong. The void that was left in the man’s body as his third origin opened was being rapidly filled by magic energy from the earth.  It was simple physics, as pressure decreases, velocity increases.  And with pressure at zero, the speed at which magic filled the man’s body reached the infinite.  It was a painful process, one that despite the risks, Cristoff hoped he’d be able to go through one day.  But Nurem had told him that he would never manage to open his third origin until he was fully mated.  The mate’s bond would give him the extra pressure he needed within his own circuitry to force the reservoir open. 

The lightning reached its brightest; so bright that Cristoff had to shield his eyes momentarily.  When he was finally able to blink his vision clear, he saw the lightning retreat into Laxus’ very body.  The wind calmed and Cristoff stepped back inside the runes, confident the danger had subsided.

Electricity sparked across Laxus’ body as he heaved air into his lungs.  His chest rose and fell with each labored breath but within minutes his breathing started to even out and the pain subsided.  Finally, he felt stable enough to sit up on the worktable. Cristoff was at his side.  “Well, how do you feel?”

Laxus let electricity course through his body and he rolled his fingertips against one another, playing with the charges.  “Fuck me, this is incredible.”  More than anything else, Laxus felt relief.  It was as if he had been congested his entire life and suddenly he was able to breathe freely again.  Energy welled inside of him; he’d never felt so strong.  He laughed, leaping up off the table and put his hand up towards the sky. Lightning reigned down around him in an intensity he had never been able to summon before.

“Fucking hell!” Laxus hooted, testing his new abilities.

Cristoff laughed.  The man was experiencing his own version of a full moon; he was completely drunk off the new magic energy flowing through his body.  It would take him a couple of hours to work off the high.

Confident his friend would be okay for the time being, Cristoff left him alone to experiment with his new abilities.  The last few days had left Cristoff feeling exhausted.  All of the healing he had done for Laxus had pulled from his own magic reserves and he’d crawled into bed each night completely depleted.  In two days’ time, the moon would be at its highest though and Cristoff would be able to restore everything he’d given out and more.

Climbing into his bed, it didn’t even occur to him to check his phone.  If he had, he would have seen the dozens of missed calls from Bickslow.

. . .

“Have you been able to reach him?” Evergreen asked the Seith over dinner.  The two had fallen into a friendly routine of eating their meals together in Laxus’ rather large eat in kitchen.  While Evergreen could be a bit haughty at times, Bickslow actually found himself enjoying the woman’s company.  Eating meals together with a close friend or family member is something he very much missed when he moved to Fiore.  Meals had always been a time of friendship and gathering for his family while he was growing up.

Bickslow shook his head at Evergreen’s question.  “No.  I reached out to Vander again but he hasn’t responded either.  He’s prolly out on a job.  Kaleb said dad and Farron are traveling.  Xally hasn’t been home with the start of the new semester and Emzadi’s out on a job too.” The Seith heaved a sigh. 

“Well, I’m sure he’ll return your calls eventually,” Evergreen tried to comfort her friend, taking a bite of her salad.

Bickslow nodded his head weakly.  “It’s just that, I wish I knew more.  I left while Nurem was still teaching things to Cris.  The whole mating thing, I know the basics but, I have no idea what being apart like this, after only one bite will do to them.  I wonder if anyone knows.”

“This is Laxus.  He’s quite strong. I’m sure everything will be okay.”

“I’m more worried about Lucy.  From the little I know, it’s more her that feels the effects of the first bite, whereas Laxus would feel the effects of the second,” Bickslow explained.

Evergreen tried not to let the worry show on her face.  “Lucy is strong too.  She’ll be okay and I’m sure Cristoff will return your calls soon.  Have you tried calling Laxus?”

Bickslow nodded, pushing the food around on his plate.  “His number is no longer connected.  I guess he hasn’t had a chance to get set up over in Bosco.”

“Well how has Freed been getting in touch with him in regards to the business?”

Bickslow shrugged. “It’s only been a week.  Freed said they had planned to touch base monthly while the boss was away.”

Evergreen hummed in understanding.  “Have you seen Lucy recently?”

Bickslow nodded his head. “Yeah, she seems okay, considering. Levy’s been keeping a close eye on her and all.”

“I’m glad about that,” the chestnut haired woman huffed.  “I don’t know how that woman goes around forgiving everyone the way she does, but if I were her, I’d be much more cross with Cana than she was after the whole incident.”

Bickslow sort of felt the same way too.  It was difficult.  He’d known Cana for years and knew she had shit buried in her past, just like he did. She suffered from the same bad coping mechanisms as well, keep that shit buried under mounts of alcohol, partying and sex.  So, when the woman came to Lucy in the Guild, bowed her head and asked forgiveness, he’d held his breath.  Lucy had merely gotten up and given the woman a hug, telling her all was forgiven, and Bickslow was glad for it.  Cana’s soul had fractured further when she’d found out what had happened.  Lucy’s forgiveness had mended that crack, which was a relief to the Seith.  He wasn’t sure how much more Cana could take.

Adding in the fact that Gildarts had returned had only complicated matters for the card mage. Given Bickslows magic, he wasn’t one to share secrets.  He wasn’t even sure if Cana knew the man was her father.  Maybe if he got the opportunity to tell her at the right time he would.  But for now, he’d stand by his policy not to interfere in people’s lives unless he was asked.  He’d learned that the hard way throughout his life.  It was what got him chased out of Bosco in the first place.

“Bickslow?” Evergreen was calling his name.

“Sorry,” he replied sheepishly.  “Got lost in thought.”

“No matter.”  The woman got up from the table, taking her plate to the sink.  “Dessert?”

Bickslow smiled before nodding yes.

END CHAPTER 22


	23. Predator

He’d woken up face down in an alleyway.  He wrenched his head to the side, testing his body and realized he was likely sporting one hell of a bruise against his jaw.  Pushing himself off the floor he growled low.  Whoever that fucker was had gotten dirt on his coat—and more importantly, little blondie had gotten away.  _But not for long…_

He brushed himself off as best he could and walked out of the alley.  He had to clear the public area before he could call Cubelious.  A convenience store was doing inventory as he walked past.  He noticed an opened box with drain cleaner stacked by the side of the door and he walked up to it and grabbed a bottle.  He ran his fingers through his maroon locks and looked up at the sign that said “Monitored for Security Purposes.”

Casting his gaze up, he noticed the lacrima-camera pointing directly at him.  He smirked, giving it the middle finger, before walking off with his stolen goods.  He wrenched the stupid child lock cap off the top with his teeth.  _Damn things are so obnoxious. And none of them are standardized. Can never figure out if you have to push down, twist up, or pinch in.  I’m not trying to fuck the damn thing._ His attitude was seriously sour right now but as he drank the bottle down, his mood improved slightly.

He sniffed the air. Blondie’s scent was still palpable and it made him rock hard.  The dragon soul within him caught wind of the scent as well and started to stir.  _Unmated female.  Claim her. Kill her mate.  Strengthen our line._

Cobra sighed.  _I know you little shit.  I would have fucked that girl raw and sank my teeth into her goddamn neck if it hadn’t been for whoever the hell interfered._  Cobra didn’t really care that he was talking to himself.  He was the only one worth listening to in this world in his opinion.  He tried to think back to yesterday night, but he was drawing a complete blank.  He’d been so focused on the girl in front of him, so absolutely rock hard for her, that he hadn’t even seen who knocked him out.  But it was clearly a man and it was clearly a mage if his nose was telling him anything.

After a few minutes of walking, he finally reached the edge of town and summoned his snake.  Hers was the only soul that was truly comforting for him to listen to and he allowed himself to bask in her warmth as he climbed on board and flew off.

. . .

She was restless.  She couldn’t relax.  It was like there was something pulling at her everywhere she went. Memories of her and Laxus’ coupling frequently flashed before her eyes.  Whether she was at home, at the Guild, or around town, it didn’t matter. The lightning mage’s— _correction_ —lightning _slayer_ ’s face was constantly in her thoughts.

 _The whole thing is crazy.  Laxus is a dragon slayer? Does he even know? And I’m his mate? Does he know THAT?_ These thoughts played out in the girl’s head constantly but no matter how many times she asked herself these questions, she still couldn't come up with an answer.

Bickslow had done his best to explain what he knew about Dragon mating to her, but he was upfront that he didn’t know as much as his brother, Cristoff.  And even more than that, Cristoff’s dragon was only able to teach him about _dragon_ mating, not dragon _slayer_ mating. 

The Seith said that he was sure Cristoff would return his call within a day or so but Lucy was feeling restless.  Going from her apartment to the Guild everyday, going on missions, even complicated missions, just wasn’t doing it for her.

Not only did she feel restless, she also felt weak.  It wasn’t the sort of exhaustion that kept her bed ridden when Laxus first left but it was still there, like the last few days of the flu.  She tried not to let those around her notice.  The last thing she needed was people doubting _even further_ if she was capable of going on missions.  She didn’t care what her friends said, she knew the truth.  _I’m the weakest in the Guild. It’s probably why Laxus decided to leave.  He wouldn’t want to stay behind for me._

The time spent muddling through all her thoughts was starting to pervert the events that happened in her mind.  She wasn’t remembering things as clearly as she used to either.  It was like she was living in a fog.  Her strength and memory all seemed hazy.

So when Master Makarov asked for volunteers to join a newly formed Allied Forces, she immediately stepped forward.  Going on a long job, working with outside Guilds, it was just what she needed.

. . .

At last Laxus’ training was finally over.  Cristoff had imparted to the lightning slayer everything he’d learned about controlling magic in a relatively short time frame.  To be fair, there weren’t actually that many forms.  It was the slayer’s mastery of a few simple techniques that was the difficult part.

And Cristoff was glad that their training had coming to an end.  It was the day before the full moon and he was starting to have serious trouble concentrating.  Vander had already taken care of preparations for the evening.  A security detail had been hired and briefed about the protocol. Given how heavily runed Vander’s penthouse was, only those people who were seriously craving some attention would be able to feel the effects of Cristoff’s magic.  Vander could also control the strength of the runes in his place. If they wanted more people, there was a simple control panel that would allow him to adjust his runes.  From Cristoff’s understanding, that feature had cost an incredible amount of money.  But then again, for what Vander did on an almost daily basis, he deserved the high paychecks he was given.

He laid back on his bed, giggling at the way the light played off the ceiling.  It was starting and he could feel it.  “Hey Van!”  The sound of his voice was pretty hilarious.  “Vaaaannnderrrr!” he called his brothers name.

Laxus heard him from where he was flipping through channels on the television and went upstairs to see what the racket was.  He found Cristoff sprawled out on the bed, laughing at the ceiling.  The lightning mage could feel the magical energy seeping into the room, all trying to make its way into the Lunar Slayer.

“Shit,” the man laughed. “Better call Van and let him know to come pick up his drunk ass brother.”

Laxus picked Cristoff’s phone off the table.  He noticed several missed calls from Bickslow but shrugged as he cleared the home screen. “This family is fucking too close sometimes.” He turned to look at the man.  “And I don’t think you’re in a good place to talk to anyone on the phone.”

The phone rang and Vander picked up.  “Cris? I’m surprised you were able to even unlock your phone by this time, man.” Laxus heard Vander laughing on the other end.

“It’s me. And yeah, he’s way past gone.  Come and get him?” Laxus was pretty straightforward on the phone.  In reality, he really hated talking on the damn things.  It’s why he hadn’t bothered to get one set up in Bosco yet.

He heard the call drop and within seconds, Vander was standing next to him.  “Shit man, look at him.  I fucking love it when he gets like this.”  Laxus tried not to show that Vander’s entrance had startled him but it didn’t work.

“Uh oh.  I didn’t scare you did I?” Vander asked with a coy smile.

Laxus rolled his shoulders. “Let’s just get him to your place okay?”

“I got this.  Done it loads of times,” he said as he hefted Cristoff onto his shoulder.  Before Laxus knew what was happening, Vander got way too close and wrapped his free arm around Laxus’ waist.  “Hold on tight, big boy,” he said with a glint in his eye.

Before the lightning slayer had a chance to think about pushing the little shit off of him, he was being pulled through what he could only classify as the coldest fucking experience of his life.  His breath caught in his throat and he couldn’t inhale or exhale.  He instantly regretted not putting on a shirt this morning as his skin felt like it was breaking off.

After what felt like an eternity, the world came rushing back around him.  He felt his feet make contact with a wood floor and the moment Vander stepped back from him, he instantly collapsed in a large heap.  He heaved for breath and it was a few minutes before he could finally speak.  “What the fuck, man?” Laxus coughed.

Vander had finished locking Cristoff into one of his side bedrooms.  It was standard procedure for the Lunar Slayer to be locked away as he continued to grow in magic power.  If he got out, and he would try, his empathic overflow easily caused ripples throughout the city.

Vander looked at Laxus trying his best to get to his feet and stand firm and began to snicker. “Thought you could handle the Voids. Was I wrong?”

The big blond tried his best not to shake or cough as he stood his ground.  He knew the little shit was trying to get under his skin. He’d been around Bix long enough to know a meddlesome Pradesh when he saw one.  “Nah.  Just warn’ a dude next time, okay?”  Vander just rolled his eyes.  He’d get the man next time.  “So, why am I here?”

Vander stretched himself out on the sofa and flipped on the lacrimavision.  His leather pants hugged his body tightly and the traditional tunic he’d formed from his shadows was cut low to reveal a chiseled chest and hardened set of abs.  Vander had no qualms about showing his body—even when no one was looking.

“What do you mean? I thought you were participating?” Vander said in a flat tone.  He’d kind of wondered if Laxus would participate. It’d been several years since Vander had seen the man.  The last time he’d visited Bickslow in Magnolia, the trio had gone out and each of them had a very good time.  He’d seen Laxus leaving with more than one woman that night.  But things lately had given the shadowquip pause. Laxus seemed—off. Not his usual playboy self.  So Vander wouldn’t have been surprised if Laxus had said he wasn’t game for the evening’s festivities.

Laxus was trying to push himself, he knew that.  Things had been difficult for him the last few days.  Training with Cristoff and practicing the control techniques had helped a tremendous deal.  It had helped focus his magic enough so that he was even starting to hear glimpses of his dragon’s soul within him.  The voice was weak, but Cristoff guessed that with time and practice, Laxus should be able to hear it clearly.

Normally, what the full moon was offering would be a welcome experience for Laxus.  He never shied away from sex and much less from varied sexual experiences.  But, since arriving in Bosco and since not being able to follow through in the bath house, he just wasn’t feeling like pounding anyone into anything.  He’d come to Bosco thinking he would have fucked his way through half the population by now and yet, nothing.

_I’m being such a bitch.  I just need to get my head out of my ass and the only way to do that is with a good fuck.  That way I can erase her, her scent, everything about her and fucking move on with what I need to do for myself._

“Yeah, I’m participating,” Laxus finally cleared his throat to say.  “Just wasn’t sure why you brought me here so early, is all?”  Laxus tried to cover.

Vander smirked and patted the seat cushion next to him.  “The moon is often full before it gets dark, my dear man.  Relax, the fun is about to start.”

. . .

It’d been a week—a whole fucking week and he hadn’t caught scent of her again.  Not like he’d really had an opportunity to search for her. The surveillance missions his Guild sent him on took him to another town outside of Magnolia before he finally was due to return to headquarters.

Brain had summoned a meeting of the Oracion Seis and he suspected he was already late.  He didn’t know—Cobra didn’t bother with things like watches or being on time.  He’d show up when he damn wanted to.  Sure Zero could be scary as fuck and might get the Poison Slayer to fall into line, but for the time being, the six of them had a lock on that freak show.  So, also for the time being, he didn’t give a fuck about what Brain or the others had to say.

He’d landed at their meeting spot and Brain turned scowling eyes on him.  “Erik!” Cobra narrowed his eyes.

“No, fucking no, old man. You ain’t got the right to call me by that name.  So fuck off!” he spat at the man.

Hoteye started ranting some nonsense about money and Angel merely smirked and looked up from her nails, expecting a show. 

The large man approached Cobra, pulling himself up to his full height and Cobra snarled as he got too close.  Brain stopped, knowing not to test the Poison Slayer too far.  They were all afraid of him—as he did have the potential to effortlessly kill them in their sleep if they weren’t careful.  “I’m just saying, you need to be on time.  We have important business to go over.”

Cobra sat down on one of the fallen logs that surrounded their outdoor hidden meeting spot.  “And I’m just telling you to fuck off and continue.”

Brain sighed and began speaking again about the Magic Council’s attempt to form something called the Allied Forces to contend with the dark guilds’ recent association.  If the Magic Council truly knew anything about the Balam Alliance, they’d know it was no true alliance.  It was formed out of the dark guilds’ recognition that if they didn’t form some sort of truce, they were in very real danger of eliminating themselves from existence as a result of rival wars.

But Cobra didn’t have much time to think about any of that shit— _she’s fucking here.  She’s fucking nearby.  I can god damn smell her._

He summoned Cubelios and immediately took off through the woods.  His guildmates were in such shock that they called out to him and started following him.  _Whatever, so long as they don’t get in the way._  

. . .

This was exactly why she’d wanted to get away for a little while.  Meeting other mages outside the Guild—maybe even wrapping her legs around a few of them—was exactly what she needed to distract her from her non present lightning mage— _slayer, mate, fuck! whatever he god damn is._

Was she blushing? It felt like she was blushing.  “You’re Hibiki Loytis, aren’t you?” she asked.  Despite all the recent drama with Laxus, she was still a loyal follower of Sorcerer Weekly and he frequently topped the charts (along with Laxus, but that was another matter completely) for “I wish he were my boyfriend”.

The dirty blond widened his eyes at the busty girl.  She was gorgeous. All curves and toned legs and all of it on display.  This job may turn out better than he’d expected. 

Within seconds, Lucy and Erza found themselves being pampered beyond belief on a sofa.  _Where did this—_ But the blonde didn’t have time to think much further before the rest of the mages started to filter in.

There was of course, Ichiya, a small and rather awkward man that made Erza incredibly uncomfortable. There was also the mages from Lamiya Scale as well as a little blue haired girl from a Guild Lucy had never heard of before.  In true Natsu fashion, before the leader of the Alliance, Jura, was able to explain the entire situation to the members, the flame mage ran off, shouting that he was fired up.

Everyone blinked in confusion.  Erza was the first to run after him, saying they needed to stick together, followed by the rest of the group.  Lucy tried to keep up with the others in her somewhat weakened state, but pretty quickly, she found she had fallen behind.  “Natsu? Erza?” she called out to her teammates but no one answered.

. . .

Lucy had been separated from her teammates for quite some time now.  It was difficult to see as the haze of the setting sun started to settle over the forest. She contemplated summoning Pyxis but in her weakened state, if she were to be confronted by a dark mage, she wanted her reserves full.

So she continued to search the forested area.  It was difficult given how wild the area was.  Tall grass covered much of the ground and the trees were packed closely together.  A rustling noise nearby made her flinch and she turned to see the grass near her moving. 

“Natsu?” she said hopefully. But deep down she knew it wasn’t Natsu. It was as if she could sense the person hiding behind the trees and it made her shiver.

. . .

He’d found her.  _Fucking finally._   She’d been standing in a small clearing in the heavily wooded forest.  He sniffed the air and a grin moved over his features.  _She’s alone._

He instructed Cubelios to encircle them and warn him if anyone entered the area.  As the snake slithered off, the grasses moved and he watched the girl tense up in clear fright.

She called out a name and he snickered, finally revealing himself to her.  Stepping out of the tall grass and into the clearing, he kept his hands in his pockets as he strode towards her.  “Not Natsu, baby. Cobra.”

END CHAPTER 23


	24. Breaking

Lucy turned to see a man that looked oddly familiar.  Maroon hair spiked high on his head and matching eyes, she held his gaze. “C-Cobra?” she stuttered.

“That’s right baby. And you’re about to be all mine.” He was circling around the woman like she was his prey—and she was.  He could tell the effects of the first bite had worn off substantially.  She might even have her wits about her in his presence this time.  No matter—he was still going to claim this girl.  The pheromones had lessened but hints of them were still there.  They were subtle, and likely only detectable if a slayer was paying close enough attention, but they were there.  He breathed in the scent deeply as he continued to circle around the girl.

“Who are you?” Lucy narrowed her eyes at him, trying her best not to cower.  She was finding it hard concentrate.  The image of this man in front of her kept shifting and morphing and she kept trying to blink her eyes clear so she could concentrate on what she knew was a dangerous situation.

Cobra put his hand to his chest in fake anguish.  “You don’t remember? You wound me!”  Lucy physically shook her head.  For a moment, she thought it was Laxus encircling her.  She stayed still as he continued his slow pace around her in the clearing.  “It’s no matter.  I’m sure we’ll be reacquainted in no time at all.”

Cobra moved forward and Lucy backed away.  Her mind and her body were in conflict.  There was a pull to this man that she felt deep within her body.  She felt herself getting aroused by his scent and could imagine herself walking over to him and climbing on.  But her mind was kicking her, screaming at her that this situation was dangerous and she needed to leave immediately!

Instinctively, Lucy reached for her keys, only to hear the sound of the man tisking.  Before she had the chance to even touch them against her hand, he moved in close, dislodging them from her belt and throwing them into the surrounding grass.

Lucy gasped.  _How did he—_

“Know what I was about to do?” He was close—too close now.  He had her arms pinned against her and he was pulling her to his chest in a tight squeeze.  For a brief moment, memories of being pulled flush with Laxus’ tattooed chest flashed before her eyes and she started an internal monologue of “He’s not Laxus! He’s not Laxus!” to try and keep her focus.

His hands came down as he head moved in closer.  She could feel the rumbling of his chest, almost as if he were purring.  His digits moved over her clothing and she tried to keep true to her mantra but— _damn, I forgot how good it feels to be pressed up against Laxus like this.  He’s so warm.  It’s been so long and I want him so bad._

Cobra snickered as he felt the girl give in.  He knew it would only be a matter of time before the pheromones did their job. Even though that first bite was almost healed now and she would soon go back to being unmated since her slayer didn’t seal the bond with the second bite, the pheromones were still present in her system and even in the slight quantities, he knew she would eventually succumb to them.

He pressed his lips against her pulse and she moaned into his embrace.  He let go of her arms; he didn’t need to worry about her fighting back now.  The proximity of his body to hers had finally caused his scent to pervade her mind. She’d surrendered to the mating and was completely at his will now.

“Laxus,” she groaned his name as he began to nip at her skin.  He tested the area near her mating bite.  He was wary at first.  Bites had been known to be loaded with the slayer’s magic and a fresh bite could release magic in defense if incompatible magic got near it.  Like opposite sides of magnets, dragon magic often repelled each other.

The Poison Slayer was internally satisfied that he only felt the faintest of sparks when he got close, similar to a static shock.  Knowing he wasn’t in any real danger, he dragged his tongue over the mark, snickering at how little magic was left in the bite by this time.  His dragon’s soul was still strong within him, ordering him to bite her, mark her, take her as a conquest!  But his human side wanted to take things slow.  It wasn’t everyday you encountered a half mated female.  The rush was incredible.   

The blonde pushed her body back into Cobra’s firm embrace, begging for him to take her—begging for Laxus to take her, more precisely, but Cobra wasn’t picky.  He could be Laxus—he could so be Laxus.

His hand began to travel up the back of her thighs.  The girl was wearing the skimpiest of outfits again.  A simple green camisole and a skirt that barely did its job.  He couldn’t help but shiver in excitement as he cupped her firm ass in his hand and began to knead the flesh.  Lucy’s own grip traveled up the front of his maroon pants to press against his rock hard erection and his breath stuttered.

Cobra felt it too—the effects of the mating pheromones.  While his dragon soul was clear that she was just a conquest and not his mate, he was still getting seriously high on the scent that she was giving off.  He couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into her neck—that thought alone had him almost ready to explode.

Her body was still pressed against his as her hand fumbled with his belt, trying desperately to make its way into his pants.  He let her explore, reveling in her increased scent as she grew in arousal.  Cobra finally cupped her ample breast over her camisole, nearly drunk on the pheromones and feel of her supple bust in his hand.

Lucy finally got his belt unbuckled and tilted her head back to rest against the man’s shoulder.  She hadn’t remembered Laxus being a height where she could rest her head close to his, but she didn’t have time to think. She had been too long without her mate and she was finally so close to getting what she _needed_ from him.  “Laxus?” she breathed.

“Yeah baby?” Cobra whispered in hot breath against her ear.

“Is this what you want?” she said as she began to pull his zipper down.

Cobra shuddered.  He’d never been so turned on in his life.  “Oh yes.  Keep going, baby.  You’re such a good girl.”

Lucy shivered.  “I love it when you say that to me.”

“I know precious,” he responded before licking the shell of her ear.

His dragon soul was nagging him to hurry up and set his mark.  Cobra didn’t know how he knew but he did know that his dragon soul belonged to another slayer at one point.  What had happened to the man he didn’t know, but everything he’d figured out about mating had carried over to the soul he currently possessed.  So as much as his second soul wanted him to mark and move on, he knew that the more turned on this woman got, the more pheromones she would give off and the better experience it would be for him.

 _I bet if she comes it will be complete ecstasy._   Intent on making that happen, Cobra resumed his fondling with increased vigor, allowing his hands to slowly start to descend over her clothing.  Lucy’s hands had made their descent as well and were now cupping Cobra’s erection over his boxers.

But Cobra had made a miscalculation.  While Lucy’s scent had faded when he’d first come upon her, their activities had increased it tremendously.  He was so love drunk by this point he didn’t even hear the shouts of her teammates as they ran their way through the woods.

“Erza! It’s this way!” Natsu shouted back at the team’s leader.

“What is the meaning of this Natsu?” Erza yelled back, hacking tall grass with her blades as she bounded behind the slayer.

“It’s Lucy! Her scent. I can’t explain it but something’s seriously off!” He didn’t have time to explain to the amazon what was happening.  He didn’t even know himself what was going on.  _There’s something different about her and her scent is mixed up with a slayer’s I’ve never smelled before._

That was the last thought Natsu had before he sprang into a clearing.  Lucy was in front of him, her body wrapped sensuously around a man Natsu had never seen before.  The Fire Slayer growled low.  Instincts took over as he moved to confront the man.

Erza stopped at the edge of the clearing to see the scene.  Lucy looked disheveled but all of her clothes were still on.  In fact, it was the blonde that had her hands down the front of this stranger’s pants.

“You back the fuck away from her!” Natsu yelled at the man, running towards the couple.

Lucy groaned her disapproval.  “Natsu, it’s okay! I’m Laxus’ mate!”

Natsu furrowed his brow.  _Mate? Laxus’ mate? What the hell? Doesn’t matter—fired up!_   “Lucy, that isn’t Laxus!” Natsu shouted.

Lucy shook her head, pulling her hand back out of the man’s pants to touch his face.  “What are you talking about?” she giggled, almost as if she were drunk.

Erza couldn’t believe what she was hearing and seeing.  “Lucy! He’s telling the truth! That isn’t Laxus!”

Lucy stuttered.  She shook her head and blinked her eyes as a fog on her vision started to clear.  She looked up at Laxus— _wait, is this Laxus? I’m having trouble--._

Cobra snarled at the Fire Slayer before he zipped his pants back up and turned to face him.  “Who the fuck are you?”

“I’m her goddamn kin is what I am!” Natsu shouted back, not even sure what kin was but he would figure that out later.  Right now, he needed to turn this guy to ash for deceiving Lucy.

Cobra knew he was caught. He also knew this was the last chance he had to mark this woman and that if he didn’t, she’d haunt him for months to come.  It happened quickly—Cobra opened his mouth to let out a poison gas directing it towards the pair.  Natsu saw the attack and lit a blazing fire to keep the poison from seeping around him. Erza crumpled to the ground the moment the purple gas reached her.

When the fog had finally cleared, Natsu looked in horror as the man’s fangs sank into Lucy’s neck. His friend— _no, my kin!—_ screamed out in pain, strength leaving her body as the man’s fangs retreated.  He snarled at Natsu before letting the blonde crumple to the floor.  The Fire Slayer watched as a large snake came flying into view. The offender jumped on as the beast quickly transported him away.

“How dare you!” Natsu screamed in absolute rage as he took off to follow the soon to be dead man.

The commotion of the fight had attracted the other members of the Allied Force who were nearby trying their best to regroup after having fought other members of the dark guild without much success.  When they arrived, they saw both Erza and Lucy unconscious in the clearing.

. . .

Dusk had settled over the town and with it, things had gotten started back at Vander’s penthouse. The Shadowquip had finally let Cristoff out of his locked room and the man was currently standing on the balcony, arms open, head facing the sky, shouting how much he loved everyone.

Laxus furrowed his brow. “Isn’t that going to disturb people?”

Vander was trying to keep his snickering down as he recorded the whole thing on his phone.  He clicked the video off to turn to the lightning slayer. “Nah. I’ve got this whole place so runed, sound, magic, the screams of willing partners as they come in ecstasy, nothing gets through.”

Laxus rolled his eyes. “Why am I not surprised that you made your place soundproof?”

Vander scoffed.  “Like you didn’t?  Bixy told me what you had Freed do for your house.”

Laxus chuckled. “Touché, douché.”

Vander sniggered.  “I think it’s about that time.”  He made a call downstairs and within a few minutes, the doorbell to the suite rang.

Vander sauntered over to open to the door, swinging it wide to allow the first few people in.  It was just three to start: two women and a man. They all instantly crowded the Shadowquip, running fingers along his athletic form and through his dark locks that he’d let go free for the evening.  “Something drew us to this place. And then the man downstairs said we were welcome to come up, if we wanted,” the one woman breathed.

She was beautiful. Sun kissed skin and deep brown hair that formed tight ringlets naturally.  The man spoke next.  “Is this where Cristoff is, tonight?”  The trio held their breath in anticipation.

Vander stepped forward, running his fingers down the man’s face sensually.  He wasn’t incredibly muscled; rather he had a lithe body, much like Vander’s own.  Dark purple hair was cropped short to his head and his eyes held a glint of mischief.  _Oh, this one is so mine to start._

“It is,” Vander stepped back and the man whimpered at the loss of touch.  The shadow mage bowed.  “We’d be honored if you joined us.”

The last woman stepped forward.  She had green eyes that matched her dark green locks.  She boldly reached her hands to run them down the opening in Vander’s tunic.  While he normally fashioned tight fitting leather from his shadows while he was in the field, while at home, he let the clothing hang looser on his form. Especially when he expected evenings like this.  He wanted people to be able to touch him where they wanted without them getting frustrated.

The three of them gasped at hearing that they had happened upon Cristoff’s full moon and each turned to smile at one another.  Cristoff sensed the new arrivals and his attention was drawn to them.  Stepping off the balcony, the three immediately saw him and felt the effects of his magic.  Feelings of intent and pleasure rolled through their bodies and even Laxus grit his teeth at the feeling.

The trio attempted to rush Cristoff all at once but Vander quickly pulled the hand of the man and spun him into his arms.  He kissed him and the man’s attention immediately turned back to the Shadowquip. Vander walked the man backwards until he was pressing him into the countertop.  “What do you think about starting with me, instead?”  The man smiled before diving back in for more.

The two women were currently running their hands all over Cristoff.  The man wasn’t wearing much and they were free to roam his large chest. The woman with dark hair seemed particularly interested in Cristoff, moaning as she ran her tongue along the length of his tattoo.

Laxus was still standing off to the side, leaning against the wall.  He hadn’t put on any additional clothing since he’d been rudely transported here from this morning.  He was still sporting just a pair of loose fitting sleep pants and nothing underneath.

The emerald-haired woman turned and caught his eye.  She bit her lip.  He was _gorgeous_.  Easily the most built man here, muscle covered his body from top to bottom and his blond hair and light skin easily showed he was foreigner.  She broke away from the Lunar Slayer, leaving him for her friend. 

Wandering over to Laxus she immediately wrapped her hand around the back of his neck and pulled him down for a kiss.  The man seemed hesitant.  She didn’t mind.  She would make him forget all his troubles this night.  She bit his bottom lip and moaned as he opened his mouth further.

Laxus was somewhat taken aback by how quickly this woman was on him.  He’d just been standing against the wall, trying to sort out his feelings about the whole night but his head was hazy from feeling the effects of Cristoff’s magic.  It was like there was something he was trying to remember—some _one_ perhaps?—but the waves of pleasure crashing around him were making it hard to think.

Her kiss felt good—not amazing but good and he didn’t fight it.  He let her pull him over to the sofa where he sat down.  She climbed on top of him without hesitation.  The woman wasn’t wearing much in the way of clothing.  A simple crop top left his hands free to roam her midriff and that microskirt she was sporting had already been hiked up, revealing perfect cheeks separated by a length of string.  The outfit triggered something in Laxus’ mind—it was familiar somehow.

She started kissing him again and as she did, her hands pulled on his, inviting him to explore her body even more than he already was.  The feel of Cristoff’s magic surrounded the couple as they both drank in the overwhelming vibes of pleasure and comfort.

Laxus took control, grabbing her firmly by the back of the neck.  He’d forgotten how good Lucy felt in his arms.  Her body rolled against his and he smiled as he felt her supple breast in his hand.  Somewhere in the recesses of his mind, he thought he’d remembered them being bigger but he let the thought slip away as his woman moaned into his touch, throwing her head back and sighing in satisfaction.

He pulled on her hair, keeping her head back as she thrust her chest into his mouth.  He began to nip at her over her clothing and she let out another moan.  “Please,” she whimpered.

“Please, what?” he smirked. He loved it when Lucy begged like this.

“More,” was all the woman in his lap managed to say.

He obliged, quickly removing her top to expose her amble breasts.  He dove in, encircling her nipples as she used her hands to thread them through his spiked hair.

The sounds of Cristoff driving her friend to ecstasy with his tongue filled the room.  She looked back at the exotic sight.  The Lunar Slayer had her friend on the edge of a patio lounge, legs spread wide as she gripped the top of the chair.  His hands kept her legs parted as she tried to crush her thighs around him. 

She turned back to the blond currently underneath her.  He wasn’t wearing anything but a pair of silky sleep pants and she could feel his hardened erection through the thin fabric.  Grinding herself against it she turned again to see the dark haired man from when they arrived standing in the kitchen.  The man that had arrived with them was on his knees, sucking the other for all he was worth.

The blonde beast beneath her growling brought her attention back to him.  He stood, easily picking her up before tossing her onto the couch. She gasped at the treatment before he kneeled behind her.  His hand caressed her body, working its way from her neck, down the swell of her breast and over the fabric of her skirt before he finally plunged his fingers into her depth.  She pulled in a quick breath at the sudden intrusion but his skilled hands quickly had her wishing she knew his name.

Laxus knew Lucy liked it like this; always keeping her right on the edge, never able to expect what he was doing next.  He couldn’t wait to be back in her tight heat again—it had been far too long.  His fingers moved with increasing speed as the girl’s walls began to flex against him.  He could feel that she was close—he snickered, it never took Lucy long to come—she was good that way.

Within minutes, the woman threw her head back, letting the waves of pleasure wash over and fill her. The Lunar Slayer’s magic heightened everything so that she came so much faster and so much stronger than she usually would.  Laxus didn't waste any time.  He wanted to be buried in his mate’s tight body as fast as possible.  He could feel the effects of Cristoff’s magic crashing like waves all around him.  It filled the penthouse completely to the top, unable to escape with the runes set on high, so it only served to drive those in it to higher and higher highs.

Laxus stepped out of his sleep pants quickly enough before pumping his manhood a few times.  He was already leaking precum he was so excited to finally join with his mate again.  As he approached, he used his hands to position her thighs to where he wanted her.  She was small and easy to push into whatever position he wanted.

Without hesitation, he let his tip gathered extra moisture at the opening to her heat.  The woman moaned at event his small sensation and Laxus smirked.  He pressed in further, letting her walls stretch around him.  It was odd, her warmth didn’t feel quite as euphoric as it usually did with Lucy—which was even odder considering Cristoff’s magic flooding his senses.  He shook his head of the thought.  It had been so long—he needed to reconnect with Lucy.

Finally seating himself all the way into her heat he let out a sigh at being joined.  He began to move but furrowed his brow as he didn’t feel the drive to mark Lucy as he normally did.  Something wasn’t right but, he wasn’t going to stop.  He was going to fuck all the insecurities, angst and anger he had away.  He was going to pour everything out through the snapping of his hips and the release of his body.

As he worked the woman over his cock, she moaned.  From this angle, she could see Cristoff attending to many more people than just her friend.  Vander had let in more people and they had flocked equally to Cristoff and Vander, each man being attentive lovers to as many as they could while others amused themselves by kissing people around them.

She was thoroughly enjoying having the blonde foreigner to herself.  When the full moon was over, she fully intended to ask him to her bed again. His rhythm was hard and fast and even as experienced as she was, she was having trouble keeping up.  She was about to lift her hand to press back against his hips to slow him down but before she got the chance, the man withdrew. 

He let out a blood-curdling scream that broke through the entire room.  The fog lifted slightly at the sound and people stopped who they were engaged with, or at least slowed down in Vander’s case, to turn.  Many watched as Laxus crumpled onto the floor, completely unconscious, tears leaking out of his eyes.

END CHAPTER 24


	25. Tenuous

He could almost feel the heat from the man as he chased him, but Cobra didn’t care.  The adrenaline from the chase was only serving to make his heart pump faster and increase the ecstasy he was feeling. 

“I’m gonna make you pay for what you did!” the idiot yelled after him.

Cobra smirked.  He tuned in to listen to the man’s soul:  _“What the hell did he even do? I saw him bite her; I saw Lucy in pain! No one makes Lucy cry! Lucy—her scent.  It’s all so different.”_

It was clear to Cobra that this slayer knew nothing of mating.  He couldn’t blame the man.  The only reason he knew anything about it was because his dragon’s soul had once belonged to another and they had been through both a conquest and a mating.

 _“A conquest—God damn, I’ve got my own conquest.  This is going to be fucking ahhhmazing.”_ He snickered as he led Natsu in circles, waiting for the opportunity to finally lose the hothead.  _“And this asshole doesn’t know the first thing about mating.  No one’s going to be able to tell her anything.  This is just too perfect.”_

The maroon-haired man snickered as he looped back around once more, Cubelios in sync with his own thoughts before finally losing the fire slayer.  He activated his magic, listening for the man’s soul. When he was satisfied that he was no longer following him, he let Cubelios land. They had flown to a large field and Cobra jumped down from his friend and rolled out in the tall grass.

Cubelios slithered off, enjoying the feel of the grass for herself, leaving her slayer high in the center. And he truly was high.  The moment his fangs had sunk into that woman’s neck, he’d felt a swell of energy enter his body.  His dragon soul was telling him that he had absorbed the energy that remained with her after the first bite.  Had he bitten her sooner, he would have been completely inebriated. But as much of the bond had worn off, and the energy had left her body since Laxus failed to seal it, he only got about a quarter of what he would have earlier.

Cobra basked in the feel of it all.  His second soul was telling him that even though he only absorbed a small amount of the bond from Lucy, his conquest bond was still firmly in place.  He tested the bond.  It was fresh and he could feel her presence clearly through it.  It wasn’t deep—like a mating bond was.  And she wouldn’t be able to feel anything that he was feeling.  It was all one-sided.

And given that it didn’t appear that any of her Guildmates knew what any of this was, he was going to have _a lot_ of fun with this.

. . .

 _“How the hell did I lose him?”_ Natsu ground his teeth in frustration.  He sniffed the air.  The man’s scent looped back on itself and at this point, Natsu was just traveling in circles.

He let out a roar of frustration, burning some of the nearby trees to ash before finally turning around to head back to where everyone had regrouped.  The scene he came upon was grim.  Erza was lying on the ground, clearly in severe pain and dropping in and out of consciousness.  He looked over at her arm and noticed it was swollen and purple in various areas.

Natsu turned to look at Lucy.  She was still unconscious on the ground and there was a clear purple bite mark on her neck. Natsu walked over to her tentatively and was immediately confronted by a strong scent that was decidedly _not_ Lucy. It was also so incredibly noxious that he didn’t even want to get near her.

Members of the other Guilds were swarming around the two and Natsu felt completely at a loss on what to do. There was some mention about Ichiya trying a healing perfume on Erza but that didn’t seem to work.  Finally, the little blue haired girl stepped forward. She was extremely timid as she stood there shaking in her little yellow dress.

Her companion was the one to speak over the crowd.  “Wendy can help!”

“Carla, don’t!” she whispered.

“No child,” the little cat said, turning to look at her.  “Your teammates need you now.”

Natsu was losing his cool at not being able to do anything.  He bound up to the little girl and cast her an intimidating gaze.  “What can you do to help?”

The girl backed away from him before stammering, “I know healing magic.”

The gasps of the surrounding mages could be heard over the commotion and Wendy was quickly ushered to Erza’s side.  Within a few minutes, the purple had disappeared from her arm and the woman’s breathing had steadied. Erza woke up briefly to say that she was much improved before falling back asleep.  Wendy indicated that this was perfectly normal; as the woman would need to sleep to recover from the stress her body had been under.

“And what about Lucy?” Natsu ground his teeth in agitation. He knew that the poison was fast moving in Erza’s body and needed to be cured quickly before it moved into any vital organs but it seemed like everyone had forgotten that Lucy was laying unconscious with her own purple wound.

Wendy quickly got up to rush to the blonde’s side, but she stopped short.  “ _Well!_ What is it?” Natsu demanded hotly.

“Hey cool it, Natsu,” Gray said, giving the fire slayer a glare.  “You’re scaring her. We’re all worried about Lucy.”

Natsu rolled his shoulders, trying to keep from starting something with Gray.  He didn’t have time for that; he was worried about Lucy!  He gave a look to Wendy, asking her to continue.

“Her scent,” Wendy explained.  “It’s hard to get close to her.  It’s making me nauseas.”

Gray furrowed his brow. “What scent?”

The men of Blue Pegasus approached the blonde.  “I don’t smell anything.”

Natsu narrowed his eyes.  _“Odd. We’re the only two that can sense it?”_ A thought came into him mind suddenly, “Wendy, are you a dragon slayer?”

The little girl let out a squeak before nodding her head timidly.  “If you mean did I learn magic from a dragon, then yes.”

Natsu tried to swallow the surprise he felt hearing these words as well as the impulse to ask about Igneel. He needed to keep his focus on Lucy right now.  “Can you tell us what you feel or sense?”

Wendy nodded her head. “She’s not in any pain and I can sense her vitals; she’s alive and well.  I think,” the girl hesitated. “It’s hard to explain but when that man bit her, I could feel some weird energy transfer.  And now, she’s bearing his scent.  It’s very different than the scents she carried before.”

Lyon, another ice mage, approached the conversation, running his hand through his stunning white hair, making it stand even taller on his head.  “Did you say scents? As in plural?”

Wendy nodded her head, her blue hair swaying with the motion. “When we all first met, I could sense two scents on her.  Almost like she was two people.” She turned to look at Natsu.  “Didn’t you sense it?”

Natsu bristled as everyone’s eyes turned to him.  He should have noticed something like that—he was with her the most of everyone.  But he didn’t usually pay attention to small details like that.  An awkward silence stretched out over the clearing before he finally felt compelled to answer.  He shook his head.  “No, I never noticed.”

Wendy tapped her finger to her lip in thought.  “Well, it was pretty subtle.”

Natsu growled in frustration.  “So what does all this mean for Lucy?”

“Well,” Wendy said, hesitating slightly.  “She seems to be okay.  I think she needs rest and I’ll monitor her to make sure she’s okay.  Until she wakes up there’s not really much we can do.”

“That’s not good enough!” Natsu let his anger spill over.  “Wait and see?  What about that purple mark on her neck? What are we supposed to do about that?”  Natsu walked over to Lucy and attempted to pick her up but he withdrew quickly, dropping the woman back to the floor.

He screamed in pain. “Natsu!” Wendy approached him quickly to look at his hand.  His fingertips where he’d touched Lucy had turned slightly purple.  Wendy activated her healing magic and the color faded. “It’s the same poison that was in Erza. It’s just a lot less concentrated.”

Natsu was at his wits end. “I can’t take this! I feel so helpless!” He turned on his heel, running through the forest in his rage, the grass smoldering with each step. 

Lyon moved to follow but Gray put a hand on his chest, holding him back.  “Don’t.  He’ll find his way back.  This is just how he is.”

Lyon sniffed. “Reckless.” Gray nodded his head in agreement. He turned to look at the blonde on the ground.  He moved near her and reached out tentatively. 

Lucy’s eye cracked open to look at him, the fall jarring her awake.  “Gray? Where--?”

“Shh,” Gray put a finger to his lip. “It’s all right, Lucy.  Just rest.  We’re going to get you back home.”

She smiled her warm smile and her head fell back with sleep once more.  Gray reached out to her again, slowly and breathed a sigh of relief when touching her didn’t hurt him.   He lifted the blonde carefully and turned to see Jura do the same with Erza.  The entire team began walking back to the rendezvous point feeling deflated.

. . .

_He let out a blood-curdling scream that broke through the entire room.  The fog lifted slightly at the sound and people stopped who they were engaged with, or at least slowed down in Vander’s case, to turn.  Many watched as Laxus crumpled onto the floor, completely unconscious, tears leaking out of his eyes._

. . .

Cristoff felt it immediately and turned to watch the larger slayer fall.  With his magic at its peak he could sense the most subtle of fluctuations in magic energy.  _“I felt something snap.  A connection—a bond?  Something happened.”_   The feel of such powerful magic rushing past him had sobered him somewhat. 

He quickly untangled himself from the many people he was with to rush to Laxus’ side.  He smiled at the woman Laxus had been with.  Cristoff saw concern fill her eyes and he reached out with his magic, calming her tumultuous thoughts.  She breathed a sigh of relief and moved to join her friends in the mass of people Cristoff had just left.

The Lunar Slayer tried to catch Vander’s eye.  The man had switched so that he had a woman pushed up against the cabinetry and was driving her crazy with his fingers.  Cristoff reached out once more with his magic—something he could only do during a full moon—and snapped some of it against Vander.  It got the man’s attention.  He stuttered briefly in his movements before turning his head to look at his brother not stopping his actions.

Cristoff raised an eyebrow and Vander sighed. He handed the woman off to the few people that were engaged next to him.  Licking his fingers, he walked over to where Cristoff was kneeled over the lightning mage. “What happened?  Fuck himself to exhaustion?” Vander snickered.

Cristoff gave him a stern look. He could feel the effects of the moon’s power moving back in to cloud his vision so he needed to get this situation handled quickly while he still had his wits.  “We have to move him.”

Vander nodded, standing and picking the blond up and unceremoniously swinging him over his shoulder to carry him into one of the side bedrooms.  Vander kept the doors runed so that only his hand could open the door.  It was a useful thing for intruders so no one was in the room.  He let Laxus fall onto the bed and moved back so Cristoff could look him over.

“So what happened?” Vander said, trying to adjust the erection clearly showing through his leather. While Cristoff may have been momentarily sobered, that didn’t mean the effects of the magic had worn off on Vander.

Cristoff shook his head. “I don’t know exactly.  I’m checking his vitals now. I’ve only got a few minutes so let me work.”

Vander sighed.  Deep inside he knew he should be more concerned for the larger man but Cristoff’s magic was still thick in the air and affecting his thought processes.  He heard his brother heave a sigh of relief.  “He’ll be fine.  His magic is extremely depleted.  It’s lucky we opened that third origin when we did.  I’ve put him into a deep sleep and he’ll wake tomorrow morning.  We’ll have to figure out what happened then, but for now, at least he’s okay.”

Vander nodded his head in understanding.  “So we’re good here?”

Cristoff smirked, the effects of the moon rushing back to him quickly.  “Heck yeah!” he said with a laugh as he preceded his brother back to the main room as Vander closed the door behind them.

. . .

Bickslow slid into the bench next to Evergreen, bumping into her on purpose and cracking a grin at her expected huff.  His good mood was interrupted when the Allied Forces team walked into the Guild—or at least some of them along with a little girl he had never seen before.

Natsu sat heavily at one of the barstools and Gray followed.  Bickslow raised an eyebrow as the two men didn’t even bother to fight with one another.  “Oh my, what’s gotten into you two?” Mira asked in a concerned voice.

Gray groaned.  “Things didn’t go as planned.”

The little girl with blue hair looked around uncertainly and Mira addressed her next.  “Well hello there.  Can I help you?”

Wendy looked at her and blinked a few times.  “I—I was hoping to join your Guild.”  She ducked her head.  “You see, when I went back to mine—“ she choked back tears.  Gray perked up enough to explain to Mira what had happened when they tried to bring the girl back to her home.  It turned out the entire place was a magical illusion and the moment Wendy left, it had all disappeared.  There was nothing left for her.

Mira took the little girl’s hand in hers and started towards the Master’s office.  She stopped for a second, turning back to the two exhausted mages. “Where’s Lucy.”

Natsu groaned and Gray sighed.  “Sensitive subject.  She got attacked by another dragon slayer.  We dropped her off at her apartment last night when we got back and she’s sleeping it off.”  Mira nodded before ushering the little girl up the stairs.

Bickslow nearly choked on his drink.  _“Attacked? By another dragon slayer? And they left her alone? To fucking sleep it off!”_

“Evergreen, you know where Lucy lives?” Bickslow turned to her with serious eyes.

The woman nodded. “Two blocks away, on Canal Street, left of the central bridge. Second story apartment.”

“Great, thanks!” Bickslow said, calling his babies over to him.

Before Evergreen had the opportunity to ask any clarifiers, Bickslow was already through the door, headed for Lucy’s apartment.

. . .

Lucy awoke to the sound of her window sliding open.  She groaned, assuming it was Natsu.  “Go away,” she said groggily, turning over.

“Whoa, Cosplayer, it’s only me!” Bickslow said in as soothing a voice as he could.

“Bix?” Lucy blinked at him with bleary eyes.  He tried not to suck in a breath of worry at seeing the clear purple mark in her neck. “What are you doing here?”

“I don’t think you should be alone right now, Lucy? Do you mind if I take you back to my place?” Bickslow wouldn’t insist she stayed with them but if she wanted to stay in her own apartment, he was going to have Evergreen come over.  Someone needed to be close by.  At least until Bickslow could get ahold of Cristoff and get some things straightened out.

Lucy shook her head. “No, no, s’okay.”  She clearly wasn’t completely conscious but Bickslow took her permission.  Leaning down, he wrapped her pink comforter around her before picking her up and jumping onto his babies to fly back to Laxus’ house.

He settled her in the same bedroom as before.  She had fallen asleep in his arms on the flight over and was still resting peacefully. Very quietly, he pulled out his phone and snapped a picture of the purple bite mark on her neck.  He knew Cristoff was going to ask to see it—if he ever managed to get ahold of the man. 

Lucy stirred briefly and he turned the light out to let her sleep better.  Closing the door behind him, he looked at the time.  It was still early in the morning the day after a full moon but Cristoff should be recovered by now.

Almost as if he had willed it, Cristoff’s picture flashed on his screen as an incoming call.  Bickslow quickly swiped right to answer.  “Bro, it’s about time—“

“We need to talk—“ the brothers said simultaneously.

The Seith walked into his own room closing the door.  “I think I should go first.”  Cristoff stayed silent.  Bickslow hesitated.  This entire time he’d needed to tell Cristoff about the situation and now that he had him on the phone, he didn’t even know where to start.  “Look, I don’t know how to say this but, I think Lucy is Laxus’ mate.”

He heard his brother suck in a breath on the other end of the line.  “And that’s not all.”  Bickslow told his brother briefly about what he’d overheard at the Guild and sent him the picture he’d taken.

“This is all starting to make more sense,” Cristoff murmured.

“Huh? What’s making sense?” Bickslow clarified.

Cristoff recounted what had happened during the full moon and what he had sensed. “The only explanation for it is that their tentative mating bond snapped as soon as that other slayer set his mark into her.”

Bickslow cursed loudly. “What the hell does all this mean?”

He heard his brother groan on the other end of the line.  “Frankly, I don’t know.  I wish I did but I’m not a second gen.  I don’t have a second soul like Laxus does.  And I only know what Nurem passed on to me about actual dragon mating.”

“Well did she tell you anything about—whatever the hell this might be?”

Cristoff was silent for a moment before he continued.  “She did say that when a dragon set its first mark, their mate was kept very close. Other dragons would be drawn to the scent and power of the initial bite.  So she warned me that if I ever began the mating, to keep my other half close and away from other slayers until I could set the second mark.  But that’s all she said about that.”

Bickslow cursed again and Cristoff continued.  “We’re just going to have to keep a close eye on her, Bix.  Try to stay around her and report back to me if you see anything different.  Even the smallest things could be clues.”  There was a pause before he added.  “And watch that bite.  See if it fades or gets worse.”

Bickslow agreed before asking about Laxus.  “Well, I can tell you this much, the fucker’s lucky he opened his third origin when he did. If he hadn’t, he would most certainly be dead.”

The Seith sucked in a breath.  Something like that was hard to imagine for him.  Laxus had been in his life since arriving in Fiore and his strength and power had gotten him through a lot of bad times.  “Wait—did you say third origin?”

Cristoff chuckled. “Yeah.  We opened it.  I’ve never heard the man scream so loud but damn Bix, I can sense his magical energy. It’s far past impressive at this point.  When that bond snapped back on him, if he didn’t have his third origin—his magic levels would have dropped to nothing and there’s nothing I could have done. We’re really very lucky.”

“Does he know?”

“No.”

Both men were silent. “But I’m going to tell him as soon as he wakes up.  He needs to fix this—if he can.”

That’s what had Bickslow worried—he wasn’t sure after all that had happened if there really was a way to fix this.

. . .

Lucy blinked her eyes open. This didn’t seem like her apartment, yet her own comforter surrounded her.  She looked around the room as her vision cleared.  Memories started flooding back into her mind—she vaguely remembered Bickslow coming to her apartment and asking to take care of her.  _“I must be back at Laxus’ place.”_

She tested her movement and was surprised to find that she wasn’t sore at all.  Lucy stretched, smiling in relief as her joints popped in a few places.  She swung her legs out of bed and headed towards the bathroom.  _“Not too bad considering,”_ she laughed to herself.  Her smile instantly faded, however, as she saw a deep purple mark on her neck. _“What?—What is this?”_

Where Laxus had previously bitten her, a fresh bite mark was in its place. The area around each puncture was a deep purple with the faintest of shimmers. She touched the mark and shuddered involuntarily.  Within a few seconds, she felt something she had trouble describing.  She shook it off.  _“I need to figure out what’s going on.”_

She heard a soft knock at the door.  “Cosplayer?”

She righted her clothing and opened the door to see a worried-looking Bickslow.  It was a strange look on him given that he was normally all smiles. “Can you explain _this_?” She pointed to her neck.

The man sighed.  “We’d better sit down.”  The two went downstairs and Lucy listened over tea as Bickslow filled her in on what he’d heard from the Guild.  He didn’t know much past what he’d overheard but he was at least able to give her the rough details of what had happened.  “So, do you feel anything? Are you okay?”

She hesistated.  She _had_ felt something fleeting earlier but, was it really worth getting everyone worried about her?  She already felt like a burden in the Guild and now this?  Why did these things always have to happen to her?  She shook her head.  “No, I’m okay.”  She rubbed Bickslow’s arm in a comforting way; it was so hard to see him look so down. “I’m sure this bite will fade just like the last one.”

“Speaking of the last one.” Bickslow relayed to her what Cristoff had said about Laxus.  How the man had nearly died when their bond snapped.

_“Reject him.”_

Lucy sniffed.  “I don’t really see how that’s my problem.” Bickslow’s eyes widened in shock and Lucy continued.  “He’s the one that bit me in the first place without even knowing what he did.  It’s _his_ fault that all of this has happened.  Why should I feel the slightest bit bad for him?”

Bickslow couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  The last he’d talked with Lucy she had felt horrible for what had happened and expressed guilt over playing some part in it.  She’d indicated that while she desperately wanted to work things out with the man, she also wanted to give him the time he needed to figure things out for himself.  While she wasn’t going to “wait” for him in that sense, she said that she’d be open to talking with him when he returned—if he ever did.

But now, the girl had done a complete one eighty, and it all happened so fast.  “Lucy, you can’t mean that?”

_“You do.”_

“I do.  I don’t know Bickslow.  This whole mate stuff is just too much for me.  I don’t think I could ever be with Laxus in that way.”

Lucy moved to leave the table and Bickslow grabbed her hands in desperation.  “Lucy, you can’t!”

She raised her eyebrow. “Excuse me?”

Bickslow backed off a bit. He wasn’t ever going to be one to tell a woman what to do with her body or her love life, but she didn’t understand the entire situation.  “Lucy, if you continue to reject him, his life force will fade.”

“I don’t see why that’s my problem,” Lucy huffed.  She was somewhat surprised at her sudden mood swing.  She hadn’t felt like this about Laxus before? Why was she suddenly feeling so angry towards him?

“How can you not care? Lucy, he could die!” Bickslow stood up in clear anger and concern for his friend.  Laxus had taken some of the pain away from him when Bickslow was forced to flee Bosco.  He’d lost everything, his country, his family, his home.  He’d been severally depressed when he’d arrived in Fiore and even people at the Guild had been hesitant about him and his magic.  But Laxus wasn’t.  He’d seen the strength in his abilities and his character and the two had been friends since, through thick and thin.

Lucy felt compelled to stand up herself.  “No one, I repeat no one tells me who I should and should not love, fuck or be with. Don’t think either of you can guilt me into being with him because it won’t work.  I don’t want him!”  With that, she turned and walked out of the house, leaving Bickslow near tears.

_“That’s my good girl.”_

END CHAPTER 25


	26. Tears

Laxus blinked his eyes open the find himself back at the Pradesh estate.

_“Does he know?”_

_“No.”_

His advanced hearing was able to catch that Cristoff was speaking with Bickslow over the phone.

_“But I’m going to tell him as soon as he wakes up.  He needs to fix this—if he can.”_

Laxus groaned.  _“What now?”_ he wondered to himself as tried to swing his legs out of bed. Intense pain and exhaustion had him immediately laying back down in the bed. 

Cristoff opened the door, looking at him with his midnight blue eyes.  “I’m surprised to find you awake so fast.”

“What the hell happened?” Laxus managed to ask through labored breaths.

Cristoff took a seat on the opposite side of the room and gave the man a heavy stare.  “I should like to ask you the same question.”

Laxus rolled his eyes. His head hurt too much, he didn’t have time to play these games.  “What the fuck is that supposed to mean, Cris?”

Cristoff sighed.  This conversation wasn’t going to be easy. “Laxus, do you know anything about dragon mating rituals?”

“What? No, why would I?” Laxus huffed in agitation.

“Don’t you think you should have looked into that when you realized you had a dragon soul inside of you?” Cristoff was getting slightly angry, which was rare for the Lunar Slayer. His disposition was normally so calm, but Laxus’ lack of care had led to a very dangerous situation and the fact that the man wasn’t the least bit interested was pissing him off.

“I didn’t expect twenty fucking questions when I woke up, Cristoff!” Laxus all but bellowed.

Cristoff stood and moved closer to the bed.  “Fine. I’ll make it simple.  You started the Mating with Lucy, and you didn’t finish it. And because of it, she was attacked by another slayer.”

The blond sat stunned in the bed, taking in everything Cristoff had just said.  “I— _what_?”

It was Cristoff’s turn to groan as he pulled the chair closer and sat down.  He was going to have to explain everything, which he did.

Laxus sat silently as Cristoff explained to him that when dragon’s sensed a dragon with compatible magic, they would be drawn to them.  One of them, usually the one with the more dominant personality, would bite the other, which would transfer some of that dragon’s magic to the other.

Once bitten, dragons became very possessive of their Mate and kept them close.  The pheromones a Mate would emit after receiving a bite would draw other dragons.  It took approximately a week for the receiving dragon to adjust to the new magic. Once past, the receiving dragon would then bite the first, transferring its magic back through the bond.  The process of the intermingled magic would work to seal the bond and they would be Mated for life.

Laxus gulped.  “And if the second bite isn’t set?”

“Well, the magic would eventually leak out of their system, the bite would heal and they would no longer be in the Mating.”

“And what happens if a Mate is bitten before the bond can be sealed?”

Cristoff shrugged his shoulders and put up his hands.  “That I don’t know.  Nurem said it was only a possibility but most dragons knew to keep their Mates close during that time.”

“Fuck,” Laxus breathed.

“Yeah,” Cristoff agreed somberly.  “But what I can tell you is that your bond with Lucy has been severed.”  Before Laxus could interject, he continued.  “I felt it during the full moon.  Perhaps it was when that other slayer bit her, but I felt the bond snap.  That’s why you’re in the state you are.  The energy you gave to Lucy to share was lost.” Cristoff sighed.  “If we hadn’t opened your third origin when we did, you would most definitely have died from instant magical depletion.”

Laxus couldn’t have moved even if he wanted to.  This entire situation was once again, his fault.  Because he’d been too much of a cocky asshole, he’d never bothered to research his magic.  He only concentrated on the power it gave him without trying to truly understand it. To be honest, when he was younger he actually resented his magic and everything it had cost him.

“So, the bond is broken between us?”

“Yes, but—“

Laxus cut him off. “Good.”

“What do you mean, _good_?” Cristoff said in a raised tone.

“I mean, this way she’s free of me.  I would never have bitten her had I known.”  Laxus grit his teeth.

“You _can’t_ do that!” Cristoff raised his voice.  “She’s been bitten by another slayer.  _You_ did that.  You have to fix this!”

“As far as we know, all that did was break our bond.  I heard you talking to Bix.  She’s in good hands at the Guild.  They’ll take care of her.  She’s not in any danger.”  Laxus closed his eyes.

“You can’t know that!” Cristoff said in disbelief.

Laxus just kept his eyes closed.  “Cristoff, how long will it take me to heal up from this?”  He couldn’t risk making eye contact with his friend right now.  He couldn’t let Cristoff see him cry.

Cristoff crossed his arms and ground his teeth.  “One week of bed rest.”

“Fine.  I’m going back to sleep,” Laxus said flatly as he rolled over.

Cristoff seethed but knew not to push the blond right now.  There was plenty of time for threats when he was feeling better.

Laxus heard the door slam behind him as Cristoff walked out of the room.  He winced and tried to fight back the tears that began to stream down his face.  Cristoff didn’t understand.  He was doing this for Lucy’s sake.  He’d never have bitten her if he’d known what that meant.  Binding her to _him_ of all people? He didn’t deserve her and he wasn’t going to take her life away from her.

She’d been controlled by her father her entire childhood and he’d be damned if he took that choice away from her.  Besides, he was an insufferable playboy and now a traitor.  Being the Mate of such a sorry excuse for a man wasn’t the life he wanted for the woman.

So he’d keep his distance. He’d let her live her own life, as she saw fit and try and forget all about this Mating business.  If it meant that he suffered magic depletion as a result, well, he’d handle that for her sake.

He turned his head into the pillow and for the second time in only one month, he cried.

. . .

“Lucy!” Natsu yelled as soon as she walked through the doors.  She visibly rolled her eyes.  It had only been that morning that she’d left Laxus’ house and she was still feeling incredibly irritable.

She purposefully avoided his waving hand and went to sit at the corner of the bar instead.  “Mira, milkshake,” she barked.

Mira furrowed her brow but decided to leave it alone.  The girl had been through a lot lately and it was only inevitable that eventually she was going to blow off steam somewhere.  She handed the girl her drink and quickly removed herself from the scene without saying anything.

Natsu furrowed his brow. It wasn’t like Lucy to ignore him. He walked up to her and sat next to her at the bar, draping his arm across her shoulder.  “What’s got into you, Luce?”

 _“Is he fucking serious with this shit?”_ she internally thought. “Natsu, considering everything that’s happened, I just really want to be left alone.  Can you get that?”

“That means back off, flametard.”  Gray came upon the meeting with a snide comment and Lucy pinched the bridge of her nose.

Just as she was about to say something, Makarov’s voice boomed over the hall.  “Shut up, you brats!”  The room went quiet as everyone gathered near the recently lit stage. Lucy looked on as Gray and Natsu clamored to get to the front of the crowd. “In accordance with the Guild’s time honored tradition, I will now announce the Fairy Tail S Class Promotion trials!”

Members of the Guild cheered around Lucy as she rolled her eyes and went back to drinking her milkshake. 

_“Pay attention.”_

Lucy turned to listen intently to what the Master was about to say next.  “The trial this year will take place on Tenrou Island.  Fairy Tail’s sacred ground!”

The blonde listened carefully as the old man announced the names of the wizards participating.  When the excitement faded, she blinked to clear her vision.  “What was I doing just now?”  She shook her head and headed towards the exit, still feeling somewhat confused.

So lost in her own world, she didn’t notice Bickslow watching her from the other side of the room. 

She’d called Plue to her side to have some company.  More often than not, she felt like she needed extra company these days.  “Wow, Plue! I didn’t think it ever snowed in Magnolia!” She reached her hands up to let the snowflakes fall gently around her fingers.  It was odd for snow to be falling.  It was only October and the city usually had a mild climate.

Walking past an alleyway, Lucy heard groaning and startled.  Turning to her right, she saw Cana, laying in a pile of bottles, completely covered in snow.  When she realized it was her friend, she couldn’t help herself.  “What are you doing passed out in the alleyway?”

Cana just waived a drunken hand and smiled before continuing her alcohol induced slumber.  Lucy sighed.  There was no way she could leave her friend like this.  She summoned Virgo who appeared amongst pink smoke with a, “Punishment Princess?”

Lucy ignored her spirit’s weird kink and instead just said, “Virgo? Can you help me carry Cana home?”

“Of course, Princess!” was the maid’s immediate reply.  Luckily, the trio wasn’t far from Lucy’s apartment and within ten minutes, they were back.  Virgo assisted Cana in getting into the tub and sobered up while Lucy filled the time by making some tea and setting out some snacks.

Finally, Cana emerged from the bathroom, covered in just an oversized bath towel.  Lucy offered her a seat on the couch or on her bed but Cana opted to curl herself into a ball on the floor and lean against Lucy’s pink comforter.

“I owe you one,” Cana sighed.  “If you hadn’t noticed me, I would have frozen my ass off there tonight.”

Lucy leaned forward in her seat with a concerned look.  “No joke. Wanna tell me what’s got you acting like such a lunatic?”

Cana furrowed her brow. “You mean Mira hasn’t already told you about it?”  That would a first—the nosy barmaid not spreading people’s dirt.  “I get kind of crazy around S class trial time.  It happens every year.”

Lucy sat up straight. “Does this have something to do with that rumor I heard that you want to quit the Guild?”  Lucy knew Cana had her faults and while she hadn’t been thrilled about being ditched by the woman both times they had gone out together, she knew Cana didn’t mean anything by it.  Lucy couldn't face losing another person she cared for in such a short time and she’d feel horrible if she thought she had something to do with it.

Cana explained everything to Lucy.  About how this was her fifth trial, about why she joined the Guild as a child and about who Gildarts really was to her.  Lucy listened with increasing care.

_“Ask to be her partner.”_

“Cana! Will you please let me be your partner? Fairy Tail just wouldn’t be the same without you! I promise I can help you become an S class wizard!”  Lucy held her breath waiting for her friend to respond. 

The brunette smiled and a few tears rolled down her eyes.  “After everything that’s happened between us? You’d still want to help me out this way?”

Lucy dropped to her knees to hug her friend. “Of course.  Our friendship is greater than any of that.  I can’t loose you too, Cana.” Tears rolled down the blonde’s face to mix with her friend’s.  Cana embraced Lucy while also filing away asking her who else she lost at the Guild for later.

 

. . .

Cobra walked into the lounge, trying to drown out the sound of so many souls around him.  He inhaled the plumes of cigar smoke that were floating through the air, hoping it would help clear his head.

This place was a fucking nightmare for someone like him.  Cubelios couldn’t come with him, there were too many people and the whole place just made him nervous.  He fucking _hated_ it.

Waitresses in skimpy bunny costumes were moving around with plastered smiles, delivering drinks to their patrons.  _Fake, the whole fucking place._

In the corner of the room, he saw the man from the description.  Wild white hair, blue tattoos on his face and arms and a general scowl.  He tuned into that man’s soul and was shocked when it was different than what he expected. It almost sounded like his second soul. 

Cobra looked the man over again, running a hand through his maroon locks.  The feel of the entire thing was off, but he was here now. Might as well see it through.  Cobra’s long legs carried him to the corner, his white coat fanning out behind him.  “Name’s Cobra.  Are you--?”

The mystery man cut him off. “I’d prefer it if you didn’t say my name aloud.”  His voice was deep and had a sinister feel to it.  Cobra couldn’t tell if he liked this man or hated his guts.  He continued.  “I hear you have something of interest to sell.  The location of an island, perhaps?”

Cobra smirked.  “Yeah. I can get you that info.  For a price.”

“Who’s to say I don’t just torture it out of you,” the man responded with a gleam in his eye.

Cobra snarled low. “I’d like to see you fucking try.”

The stranger held his gaze, as if sizing him up.  “No matter,” he finally said.   “Name your terms and we’ll go from there.”

“I’ve got an,” Cobra hesitated.  He needed to be careful about how he said this. “--informant of sorts inside the Fairy Tail Guild.”  The man’s eyebrow rose just slightly.  “As soon as they make it to the island, I can get you the location.”

“Not sooner?”

Cobra shrugged his shoulders.  “When they know where it is, I’ll know.”

“Price?”

Cobra leaned back. This was incredibly valuable information that no one aside from him would ever be able to get.  He could ask for anything.  Of course, he’d already tried to sell it to another Dark Guild. But they’re Master had said he still retained “connections” and would be quite fine in finding their way there. 

“Five million jewel,” Cobra finally said.

“Two and a half.”

Cobra raised his eyebrow. “Three and that’s my final offer.”

“Fine.”

“How will I get ahold of you when the time is right?” Cobra asked.

The man shook his head. “I’ll get ahold of you.”

Cobra shrugged. “Fine.  Good doing business with you.  Now I’m getting the fuck out of this place.”

The stranger’s laugh caused him to shiver as he walked towards the door.

END CHAPTER 26


	27. Seethe

Cristoff all but fell onto his bed the moment he got home.  He’d taken a job this past week that involved too many Wyverns and not enough rest.  He was happy to be back at his own place.  While he had stayed at the Estate when Laxus was getting settled in, the blond slayer was clear since their last conversation that he was going to make this whole thing with Lucy difficult.  So he had returned to his own home in the city to have some alone time.

He pinched the bridge of his nose just thinking about it.  _“I don’t understand how he can open that woman up to danger the way he did and not go back and handle his shit.  At the very least, she deserves an explanation about everything from him.”_   He sighed. He had talked to Laxus again on one of the brief occasions the man was awake for longer than it took to use the restroom or grab some food and return to bed and he was still being stubborn about the whole thing.

_“Besides, we don’t even know what that other slayer’s bite did to her.  For all we know, they could have compatible magic and another slayer started mating with her.  The whole thing is fucked up and I just cannot believe he wouldn’t even attempt to go back and help fix what he started.”_

The soft chiming of bells had him groaning as he reached for his phone.  A rather embarrassing photo of Bickslow appeared on his screen and he snickered at the memory of it all.  He swiped right to answer the call.  “Hey.”

“Hey.”

“Well you sound like shit, what’s going on.”

He heard his brother sigh on the phone, which was very unlike Bickslow.  “I’m not all that sure.”

“Just, start with what you know.”

“It’s Lucy.  She’s,” he hesitated, “something’s off. She doesn’t seem to be acting like herself.”

Cristoff sucked in a breath. This is what he’d been afraid of.  “Any examples?”

Bickslow shook his head. “Nothing that I can really put my finger on.  She just doesn’t seem like herself.  She has these weird moments where her mood will change all of the sudden or she’ll be snippy with people randomly.”

“Have you looked at her soul?” Cristoff knew his brother usually didn’t intrude on people in this way, but this was a different situation entirely.

He heard his brother sigh. “I have.  It’s difficult because I’ve never looked at her soul before all this started.  But there is an external strand that is growing.  It’s almost as if it’s wrapped around her very being and every time I look at it, it’s gotten a little bit bigger.  But I have no clue whose it is or when it got there.”

“So what do you think?”

“Have you had any luck talking with him?”

Cristoff groaned. “He’s your best friend, what do you think?”

Bickslow chuckled slightly. “I guess not then.”

Bickslow and Cristoff had talked at length this week about the current Laxus-Lucy-mystery slayer situation.  Both Pradesh brothers thought the correct thing would be for Laxus to return to Magnolia. Without knowing more about what was going on, they had hoped that Laxus might be able to figure things out given the former bond he and Lucy shared.  Or maybe, if the two wanted, do it right the second time around.

“Think you could talk to him again?”

It was Cristoff’s turn to chuckle.  “I don’t know what good it will do but I’ll certainly try.  Maybe when he hears what’s going on, the gravity of the entire situation will hit him.”

Bickslow sucked in a breath. “I hope so.  Cause, I dunno bro.  This whole situation’s giving me a bad feeling.”

“I agree.”

“Hold up,” Bickslow said quickly before Cristoff hung up.  “Master’s started the S-class trials.  We’ll be heading to Tenrou in a week’s time.  Lucy’s coming with us.”

“Do you really think that’s a good idea, given everything that’s going on?”

“Well, there’s no way _I’m_ going to stop a woman from doing what she wants.  Besides, she’s promised to be Cana’s partner.  I’m not taking that away from either of them.”  Bickslow had known the first time Guildarts had come back to the Guild that he was Cana’s father.  But he’d learned a hard lesson in Bosco about sharing things he knew because of his magic, so he’d stayed quiet and let them figure things out. 

“Just keep an eye on her, will you?”

“You didn’t have to tell me that.  You know I will.  But hey—I think maybe Tenrou would be a good place for Laxus to meet up.  You know, it’s neutral ground.  It won’t be like going back to Magnolia.  It shouldn’t stir up any shit he hasn’t processed yet.”

Cristoff nodded his head in agreement, throwing his arm over his eyes.  “Like I said, I’ll try again.  All we can do is hope for the best.”

The brothers said their goodbyes and Cristoff groaned as he rolled off his bed.  _“So much for enjoying some time to myself.”_

When Cristoff teleported back to the estate, he found Laxus in the kitchen looking much improved. “Glad to see you’re awake.  Feeling any better?”  Cristoff inquired as he moved to take a seat at the kitchen table.

Laxus looked at him with a raised eyebrow.  Every time he had so much as woken to pee this past week, Cristoff had been there, asking about how he was going to fix things with Lucy.  He was just waiting for it to happen again.  “Yeah,” he grunted.  “Better, I guess.”

Laxus was famished. He’d been in bed for the entire week and while he’d managed to grab enough food to sustain himself, his appetite had returned with a vengeance now that his magical energy had begun to restore itself.  He began working on putting a plate of leftovers together.

“So, I just heard from Bickslow.”

Laxus winced.  He’d known this was going to happen.  “That so?” he said flatly, trying to convey his disinterest.

Cristoff resisted the urge to put his palm to his face.  Laxus was being—if possible—even more stubborn today.  “He said Lucy’s been—“

Laxus cut him off.  “I don’t want to hear it,” he said lowly, not looking up from what he was doing.

“But Laxus, the situation is different now.”

Laxus shook his head. He knew Cristoff wanted him to fix things with Lucy.  He’d never given him a great reason other than blaming him for her getting attacked—which Laxus wasn’t even sure he believed.  He was tired of this man’s incessant nagging and unnecessary escalation of the situation. It was hard enough for him to stay away from the girl.  Couldn't Cristoff understand he was trying to do the right thing for her?  He was supposed to be some sort of empath, but he seemed to be getting him all wrong.

“There’s nothing to discuss, Cristoff.  There’s never going to be anything to discuss.”

Cristoff had just about had it.  He knew the first time they talked that Laxus had very real feelings for the girl. Maybe he didn’t love her yet but the possibility was there.  And he knew he was brushing them aside because he had some fucked up version of what she was supposed to get out of life.  Well to him taking a choice away from a woman was almost as bad as telling her what to do.  Laxus’ continuous denial of his feelings coupled with the dangerous situation Lucy was in was driving the normally calm Lunar Slayer to actual anger.

He stood up, knocking the kitchen chair over as he did so and walked straight up to Laxus.  He fisted his t-shirt in his hand and met him eye for eye.  “Tell me to my face that you feel nothing for her.  That you’re okay with the fact that some other slayer attacked her or worse. Go on, say it.  Say you don’t give a shit.  Blow it off just like you’ve done with everything else in your life.”

Laxus’ eyes widened at Cristoff’s words.  “In gratitude for everything you’ve done for me, I’m going to give you three seconds to take your hands off of me.”

Cristoff didn’t move. Laxus at full strength given his new origin might have scared him, but he knew the slayer still wasn’t fully recovered.  _“This may be the only way through to him.”_

“One.”  Laxus narrowed his eyes.  “Two.”   Cristoff still didn’t move.  “Three.”

Laxus’ right arm swung high to pull Cristoff into a headlock.  Cristoff felt the arm come around his neck and he quickly ducked and moved backwards.  He hadn’t let go of the blond’s t-shirt and he ended up ripping it off his body.

Laxus looked down at his bare chest and snarled. Cristoff returned the sound with his own growl in response.  Within seconds the men were barreling towards one another, fists at the ready.

Vander had been hanging out in a nearby shadow, trying to avoid Laxus while also slipping some food off his plate and saw the entire thing.  He cringed as the men made contact and immediately wrestled each other to the floor.  He watched as they rolled harshly into the island, Laxus getting the one up on Cristoff and forcing him into the stone, causing his breath to leave him.

But Cristoff was quick to recover as he tackled Laxus to the floor, pinning him with his legs and bringing a hand up to swing at the man.  Laxus brought his arms up to protect his head and Cristoff’s fist made contact with his forearm.

Vander continued to watch from his perch, munching on baby carrots he was stealing off of Laxus’ plate.

Laxus had managed to grab one of Cristoff’s swings, moving his head to the side quickly and pushing him off balance.  The blond scrambled to his feet and lunged for Cristoff who had managed to get himself on his feet.  Laxus grabbed the Lunar Slayer by the scruff of his shirt and pushed him into the granite countertop.  “Go on!” Laxus yelled in his face.  “Say all the shit you’ve been wanting to say to me.”

 _“Oh this is getting really good,”_ Vander mused as he reached for the entire plate Laxus had prepared.

“Fine!” Cristoff spat back. “You’re a fucking coward! You’re too much of a pussy to fix problems you caused!”

Laxus saw red.  He picked up Cristoff and threw him across the room, tearing the shirt in the process.  Cristoff slid across the kitchen, crashing into the dinette set and sending it in various directions.  He stood, removing the remnants of his shirt and rolled his shoulders. “You asked for it,” he said in a sinister voice.

Vander felt his brother drawing magical energy to him and he quickly shoved the rest of the food into his mouth before stepping out of the shadows.  There was no way he was going to let these two fools destroy the estate. Before either man knew what was happening, too distracted by rage, he’d grabbed them both and pulled them through the voids to exit at the rune enclosed practice grounds to the south of the house.

Both men collapsed on the ground, inhaling breath as they recovered from the sudden trip.  Vander removed himself from the area, opting to lounge on the grassy hill that overlooked the ring.  It didn’t take long for both men to realize where they were. Laxus lightning got so bright that even Vander had to shield his eyes momentarily.  He cringed, wondering whether Cristoff would be able to handle Laxus in full rage mode.  Vander had felt the new power in Laxus when his third origin had been opened.  The man was a serious powerhouse now and while Cristoff’s power was nothing to scoff at, he wouldn’t be able to open his third origin until he was mated—at least that's what Nurem had said.

“Vander? Care to tell me what’s going on?”  Vander looked up to see his father walking towards him from the house.  Arman had been away for the last week on a business trip and had been blissfully unaware of the drama that had recently unfolded.

“Hey Dad,” he said with a smile, patting the grass next to him. “The two are finally expressing their feelings for one another.”  Arman raised an eyebrow but sat down nonetheless.  Vander chuckled at his father’s reaction.  “Not those types of feelings.  It has to do with Laxus and his Mate.”

“And I haven’t been made aware of this because?”

“Hell if I know.  Ask Cristoff.  I’m just enjoying the show.”

It was Arman’s turn to chuckle. “I can see that.”  Arman sighed as he watched the two give up on hitting each other with their magic, each being able to teleport away and return to using their fists.  “Well when they’re done with whatever this is, mind bringing them to my office for a chat?”

“Sure thing, Dad.”  He watched as his father stood up and brushed the grass off his pants.  “Don’t you want to stay for the grand finale?”

Arman huffed.  “Uh, thanks, but no.  I see enough bickering in my line of work.  I’d rather not stay to watch my son and a close family friend beat each other to a pulp.  You have fun though.”

“I always do,” Vander said as he laid back against the grass.

Arman just rolled his eyes with a chuckle before walking back to the house.

Thirty minutes later found both men sprawled out on the ground, heaving heavy breaths.  The both of them were extremely beat up and while Cristoff usually had the added advantage of his regenerative healing, he had exhausted his magic so much that he was still in quite a bit of pain.

Vander finally made his way down to the practice field.  He squatted down besides Cristoff, elbows resting on his knees and head resting in his hands.  “Well aren’t you a vision,” Vander snickered.

“Piss off,” Cristoff gasped in response.

The language took Vander aback.  His brother so rarely swore.  “My, my, quite the tongue you’ve developed.”

Cristoff closed his eyes, hoping if he didn’t give his brother the satisfaction of a response, he would just leave him alone.  _“I’m lucky Laxus was still recovering. There’s no way that I would have been able to take him had he been at full strength.”_

Sensing Vander wasn’t going to get much out of his older brother, he stood up.  “Dad wants to see you both in his office once you get cleaned up.”

“Fuck off, Vander.” Laxus groaned; even speaking had him wincing in pain.

Vander turned to face the Lightning Slayer.  “I would _so_ much rather follow those instructions, but unfortunately Dad has instructed me to bring you two in.  So you either get your asses in the house now or I bring you there.  Your choice.”

Laxus rolled his eyes. The last thing he needed was to get thrown out of another house but he fully expected it given what had just happened. And he couldn’t blame Arman if that’s the choice he decided to make.  He rolled over, gasping as he pushed himself to his feet.  “I’ll get there myself, thanks.”

Laxus walked over to Cristoff, who was still panting on the ground.  The Lunar Slayer cracked an eye open as he felt the larger man’s presence. Laxus stretched his arm out. “Need a hand?”

Cristoff smiled, grasping Laxus’ arm and the man helped pull him to his feet.  “Thanks, man.”

Laxus nodded and the two supported each other as they hobbled into the house.

. . .

Arman looked at the two me sitting across from him.  The signs of a black eye were clearly forming on Laxus’ face and Cristoff’s jaw was completely swollen on one side.  The two sat, meeting the father’s gaze, breathing fairly heavily in clear exhaustion and pain.

“Who’s going to start?” Both men stayed silent, casting their gaze down somewhat.  Arman narrowed his eyes at his son.  “Cristoff. Explain to me what’s going on.”

Cristoff locked eyes briefly with Laxus before taking a deep breath.  “Laxus is a dragon slayer, father.  He has a dragon lacrima implanted within him.”  Arman stayed silent.  He’d been a diplomat for many years and knew that now was not the time to interrupt.  He was going to let his son explain the entire situation.  “At the time he did not know it but he started the Mating with a member of his Guild before he was expelled.  When he left, she was vulnerable and was bitten by another Slayer. I’ve been told this other Slayer belongs to a Dark Guild.”

Laxus gulped.  That was a piece of information Cristoff hadn’t shared with him—or at least he didn’t think he had.  If Lucy had been bitten by a member of a Dark Guild—he squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to cry in front of these two men.

“Bickslow has been keeping an eye on her and her soul.  He said she’s been acting off and while he can’t confirm anything, he said there is an external strand that has been coiling itself around her soul.” Cristoff shrugged.  “But we’re not sure what it really is.”

This was also news to Laxus. Had he known that whatever this was was potentially affecting her soul—he turned his head to the side and looked up, trying to dry his moistening eyes.

“Laxus is insisting that Lucy is better off without him.  He refuses to return to Magnolia to see her.” Cristoff sighed.  “I don’t know father.  This is a situation I know very little about.  But both Bickslow and I feel that Laxus needs to return to her.”

Arman let the silence fill the room for a couple of minutes before he finally turned to Laxus.  “Son, do you have anything you’d like to say.”

Laxus let his head hang. “First of all, I would like to apologize to you and Cristoff.  I’m a guest here and I’ve disrespected your home and your family.”  He raised his eyes to meet Arman’s.  “Please accept my apology.”

“Done,” Arman said without hesitation.  Cristoff nodded in agreement.

Laxus blinked, not expecting either man to forgive him.  He had come into this meeting fully expecting to be expelled from the home.  He shook his head, trying to reclaim his bearings. “I, uh,” he hesitated.  He didn’t really know what to say.

“Just be honest,” Arman encouraged.

Laxus took a deep breath. “How can I return to Magnolia, Sir? I was expelled from the Guild and I began a Mating with a woman without her consent? And now I’m supposed to what? Return after she’s been put in danger because of me and say what? I’m sorry? I didn’t know? Seeing me would just be hurtful for her.  I didn’t deserve her when she gave herself to me the first time, let alone the other times.”

Cristoff raised his eyebrow at that.  He hadn’t known Laxus and Lucy had had multiple encounters.

“This woman was controlled her entire childhood.  She ran away from home and joined the Guild to escape all that.  There’s no way that I can take that freedom away from her.” Tears were streaming down Laxus face as he said the last words.  He looked down, trying to hide the emotions that were clearly evident.

Arman turned his attention back to Cristoff.  “What can you tell me about the Mating? Does it work the same for Laxus as it would for you?”

Cristoff shook his head. “All I know is what Nurem passed to me about actual _dragon_ mating.  There’s never been a record discovered of what dragon _slayer_ mating involves.  All I know is that for dragons it involved two bites.  The first transfers magic from one dragon to the other. While the receiver adjusts to the new magic, the Mates stay close.  The pheromones of the Mating can draw others and a receiving Mate left alone would risk being bitten by other dragons.”

“And do you know what happens in that case?”

Cristoff put his hands up. “I don’t.  As far as dragons were concerned, it was called a conquest and it was something some of the males would engage in to break rival males’ mating bonds.  But what it does to the receiver I cannot tell you.” Cristoff hesitated before continuing.  “What I can say is that in Laxus’ case, something broke the bond he started. Assuming it works the same as it did with dragons, the first bite would have been atrophying already because it was not sealed with a second bite, but on the night of the full moon, Laxus’ mating bond violently snapped back on him.”

Arman sat silent for a few minutes, digesting all of the information.  He finally turned to Laxus.  “Son, I agree with Cristoff.  You need to go and see this woman.”

“But I—“

Arman held up his hand. “But I do think more information is needed before Laxus returns to this woman.  Her name?” He gestured for Cristoff to answer.

“Lucy Heartfilia.”

Arman’s eyes widened as Laxus scrunched his at hearing the name.  Of course the boy had to get involved with someone from high society. He certainly didn’t make his life easy.

“Alright, well.  I think more information is needed before Laxus returns to see Lucy.  Cristoff, I believe a trip to see Nurem is necessary.”

Both men gasped. “Dad, do you really think that’s wise? She’s in hiding from Acnologia!”

“I’m well aware of that,” Arman said as he nodded his head.  “And I have a way of getting you to her location without alerting anyone to her whereabouts.” He turned his gaze on Laxus, who was still keeping his own eyes on his feet. “You two will go together.  It will be a several day hike, as you cannot risk using any magic near her location.  The time will do you good.”

“Sir, I don’t think I can do this,” Laxus said quietly, still looking down.

“Laxus, look at me.” The blond raised his gaze slowly, trying not to flinch from Arman’s stare.  “On the path of life, every man will eventually come to a crossroad.  You are at that crossroad.  The path you choose will define your future from this moment on.  So if you have any feelings of doubt or uncertainty, cast them off now.  If you do not, know that you will live with them for the rest of your days.  I cannot tell you what path to choose.  And I cannot order you to choose a path you do not wish for yourself.  But what I can tell you is that if you shy away from this moment, you will regret it for the rest of your life.” Arman’s voice softened. “And that is something I tell you from my own personal experience.”

Laxus sucked in a breath. Arman had accomplished so much. To think that this man held any regrets in his life was truly astonishing.  In some small way, it gave him the courage he needed to nod his head just the slightest.

Arman smiled, sensing the decision from the man he had hoped for.  “It’s decided then, you two begin your packing.  I’ll brief you on how you are to get there once that is done. You’re dismissed.”

Both men stood and shuffled to the door.  “Oh and Cristoff,” Arman called out to his son and both men stopped.  “When your magic recovers, do heal Laxus as well as yourself, if you don’t mind.”

Cristoff broke into a genuine smile as he looked at his friend.  “Not a problem, father.”  The dark haired mage threw his arm over Laxus shoulder in a friendly embrace and the two exited the room together.


	28. Recognition

She couldn’t quite place the sensation.  It was almost like someone was looking over her shoulder but every time she turned to look around, there was no one there.  Her and the other mages that had been selected to participate in the trials were currently on a ship, heading for Tenrou Island.

“Bix?” Lucy cocked her head to the side as she walked over to the Seith.

“Yeah, Cosplayer?” he responded, opening his eyes and leaning forward from where he was resting on a lounge chair.  His totems swirled around Lucy as she approached him, chiming “Cosplayer, Cosplayer!” as they did so.

“Are you playing a prank on me?”

His response surprised her. It wasn’t like the usually lighthearted mage to show such a serious face.  “No.  Why?”

She tried to play it off. Bickslow had attempted to talk to her on a couple occasions about the bite mark on her neck but she brushed it off and tried to convince him that she was fine.  She should have known better than to ask him something like this. “Nevermind! No reason! Sure is hot, isn’t it?” she remarked in vain to change the subject.

Bickslow stood and walked closer to her.  Grasping her lightly by the shoulders, he pulled her into his chest to give her a light embrace.  “I’m really worried about you, Lucy.  You know that, right?”

Lucy tried not to let her nerves get the better of her.  She hugged him back for a second before pushing against his bare chest.  She looked up into his exotic eyes and smiled. “I’m fine. Honest!”

The Seith merely hummed lowly before sitting back down.  “If anything changes, I want you to—“

“I know, I know, tell you immediately,” Lucy finished his sentence in a huff.  “I know you’re trying to help, Bix, but honestly I’m fine.”

It was only sort of true. She wasn’t in any pain or anything like that but she had been feeling a little off since that other slayer bit her. Her memory would fade in and out sometimes.  She would end up in places and have no idea how she got there and worst of all, she’d apparently been nasty to people without knowing it. 

She’d been monitoring the purple mark as well and much to her dismay, it wasn’t getting any better. It was still just as deep and just as purple as when she first got the mark.  Lucy had taken to covering it with makeup herself because she didn’t want to alarm her spirits.  Stars only knew how protective Loke was of her, and with him as Gray’s partner for this mission, she was trying her best to not raise his suspicion.  She had really done her best to keep this entire situation off their radar, even if doing so meant not relying on them for as many things.

Cana startled her out of her woolgathering by swinging her arm over her shoulders.  “Hey girl! You ready to put that game face on?”

Lucy smiled, pumping her arm in the air.  “Absolutely!”

 _“Whatever this is, I’ll just have to deal with it, for Cana’s sake.  I’m here for her after all,”_ Lucy vowed to herself.

Gajeel watched the entire interaction from his side table.  He caught Bickslow’s eye and signaled for the man to come over.  He’d been biding his time before he said anything. With him being new and his rather troubled history with the Guild, he didn’t think it was his place to meddle into their affairs.  He also very much hated meddling.  But things had gotten to a stage where he didn’t think he could let it go.

Bickslow sat down and gave him a questioning look.

“What’s up with Bunny Girl?” Gajeel nodded to Lucy who was doing her best to smile at Cana’s antics.

Bickslow hesitated. Gajeel was a dragon slayer so maybe he’d be able to help. But he also had a troubled past with Lucy and the Seith wasn’t sure where that relationship was at the moment.  He figured he’d play it safe.  “What do you mean?”

“Look, I get it,” the iron slayer growled.  “You’re protective of her, but you and I both know something’s not right with her.” Gajeel toyed with telling Bickslow what he knew—her scent was way off.  While it wasn’t overpowering and addictive, like it had been when she was clearly shacking up with the lightning freak, it was different from when he first met her.

Bickslow narrowed his eyes. “Is this just some ploy to get information out of me for the trials?”

Gajeel ran his hands across his face.  “I know I’m fucked up but I’m not _that_ fucked up.  I’m just tryin’ to do the right thing here, you get me?”

Bickslow shook his head. “You’re right.  I’m sorry.  I’ve just been a little tense with everything going on lately.”

Gajeel grunted his agreement.  “I get that. Laxus leaving must have been really tough.  I get it.”

The Seith nodded.  He imagined that Gajeel of all people did get it. The man had lost his entire Guild and leader in the span of a day as well.  “I dunno what you know but she was bitten by another dragon slayer a few weeks back.”  Gajeel looked like he was about to say something, but Bickslow held up his hand. “After she was bitten by Laxus.  She’s his mate.”  The Seith lowered his eyes.  “Or at least she was.”

“Fuck,” Gajeel breathed out.

“Yeah,” Bickslow nodded in agreement.  “That about sums it up.  But you’re a dragon slayer.  What have you been sensing?”

Gajeel scrunched his eyes. It was hard to put these things into words.  “Well, she was just normal when I first met her.  About a week later, her scent became overwhelmingly attractive.  It was right around the time Laxus left, actually. And I was relieved the Master had sent me out on a job ‘cause I was having trouble being around the Guild with her there.”

“You were?” Bickslow leaned forward.  “Do you know if that was just you or was it Natsu too?”

Gajeel shrugged his shoulders.  “Hard to say. If you haven’t noticed, that idiot is not the most in touch with his dragon senses.  There’s a specific meditative form that my dragon taught to me before he disappeared to get me in better touch with my instincts.  I practice it everyday.  I doubt Natsu even knows it exists.  Without it, a dragon slayer’s connection to his dragon instincts will be heavily muted.”

Bickslow rolled his eyes. “I agree and seriously doubt Natsu even knows what meditation is.”

“I got back from that job just before the Master announced the trials,” the bigger man continued. “And when I got back, she didn’t have that attractive scent anymore.  But it’s not the same as when I first met her.  It’s like she’s carrying around a smell I just don’t recognize.”

Bickslow nodded. “I don’t know for sure, but I bet it has something to do with that other slayer.”

Gajeel nodded and shrugged his shoulders.  “Well as long as you’re aware that something’s up.”

The Seith sighed. “Yeah, I’m aware and pretty helpless, to be honest.”

“Sometimes there’s nothing that can be done.” 

Bickslow nodded and let his lips fall into a grimace.  “That’s what I’m worried about.”

The ship swayed and Natsu let out a groan.  “This is what hell is like.”

“Sorry Natsu, hang in there,” Lucy heard Wendy say with a twinge of guilt.

“We’ve arrived,” Loke said, pointing to the island off the bow of the ship.  Lucy walked with Cana to the port side, leaning over the railing to get a better view.  The island was beautiful and like nothing Lucy had ever seen before.  It was almost as if a tree had grown through a layer of rock and raised itself in the process.  It was hard to describe, but from where she was standing, the island appeared to have multiple levels.

The feeling that she was being watched increased and she tried to roll her shoulders to shake off the sensation.

“There’s a legend about this place,” the Master appeared near the Mast to speak, “that it was once populated by fairies.”

Trying to distract herself, Lucy walked closer.  “Is that legend true?”

“Nobody knows, but this island is of great importance to our Guild.  This is the resting place of our first master, Mavis Vermillion.”

“And you’re going there dressed like that?” Gray shouted at him in astonishment.  Lucy tried to cover her giggle.  The Master’s outfit was a bit garish; a tropical patterned linen shirt and brown cargo shorts.

“Said the nudist to the stylish man,” the Master responded without missing a beat.

“Speaking of which, mind putting some clothes on?” Lucy giggled at her soon-to-be rival.

The Master continued to speak, detailing the first round of the upcoming trial.  Lucy tried her best to pay attention to what he was saying but there was something pulling at her concentration.

As soon as the Master finished explaining the first trial, Bickslow and Freed departed the ship as planned.  The Seith cast a worried glance back at Lucy as he sped off towards the island on his totems.  He sincerely hoped that the trials wouldn’t be set up in such a way that he couldn’t watch over her.  Something was seriously wrong—he knew it and he also knew that she wasn’t saying anything. Her mood swings, memory lapses and general oddity had been increasing in frequency and try as she might to brush it off, he wasn’t buying it.

The rest of the group hawed at being trapped on the ship.  “Gramps, do something! That’s gotta be against the rules!” Gray protested.

With Levy, Gajeel, Elfman and Evergreen figuring a way through the enchantments, the rest of the group was left to wait out the five minutes.  When the time finally elapsed, Lucy ran to the edge of the ship with Cana. “Once you hit the water, go all out.”

“Okay!” Lucy shouted back in acknowledgement.

When the women hit the water, Lucy gave all she had to making it to shore.  With every stroke she took, the feeling of eyes on her increased. It was all she could do to keep herself moving towards that island and not stop to turn around—the feeling was uncanny.

Finally, her foot made contact with the bottom of the seafloor as she climbed out of the water. At that moment, the feeling of being watched left her completely.  She breathed a sigh of relief and smiled as she stretched her arms over her head.  _“It must have just been nerves after all!”_

“I can’t believe we’re dead last already,” Cana lamented.

Feeling all the more cheerful, Lucy walked over to her friend.  “Hey, don’t sweat it! As they say, save the best for last; and that’s us! We’ve got good looks and good luck! What do you say we get you that S-class rank?”

Cana’s lip broke into a small smile and she nodded.  “It’s good to know one of us can stay chipper.”  With those words, the two women headed into the only cave left.

. . .

Cobra sucked deep on the cigarette in his mouth before leaning back to exhale the poison into the air. He let out a contended sigh, leaning against the bed’s headrest.

He turned to look at raven hair spread across the pillow next to him.  He pulled more of the toxin into his system before putting the cigarette into the ashtray on the nightstand.  Cobra loved a good blowjob but his “toxic if ingested” spunk added an extra, rather obnoxious step, to any encounter.  Rolling his eyes he turned over to grab the woman’s wrist.  He let his fangs pierce her flesh as he pumped a small amount of antidote into her system.

Letting her arm fall, he picked up his cigarette and resumed filling his lungs with toxic smoke. Slowly, the woman next to him began to stir.  She finally rolled over to look at him with bleary eyes.  “How long did you let me pass out for this time?”

Cobra chuckled. “Don’t worry, this is only my second cigarette.”

The woman huffed. “I’m never blowing you again.”

“You say that every time,” Cobra smirked.  “And yet here we are.”  The woman tried to move closer to his side but Cobra put an arm up to stop her movements. “Please don’t.”

“What the hell’s gotten into you?” she hissed.

Cobra pinched the bridge of his nose, trying not to let her bad attitude get to him.  It was always the same with her.  He’d feel the urge, she was easy and always responded to his “where are you?” text, and then she’d pester him afterwards.  He still didn’t remember why he didn’t just leave before she came-to.  He’d promised himself he would last time but somehow he forgot just how much of a bitch she was when he was reveling in the afterglow of a good blowjob.

“Try not to ruin the mood, okay licorice?”

She huffed at the name. “I hate that you call me that.”

Cobra took another drag, blowing a smoke ring into the air.  “No you don’t,” he responded simply.  He’d taken to calling her that because of her black hair and bitter attitude.

“So, I’m guessing nothing’s different?” the woman asked hopefully.  She’d been hounding Cobra ever since their hookups had started. She had serious daddy issues—he got that.  But her incessant “am I your mate?” bullshit was starting to seriously wear on him.

He shook his head. “It doesn’t work that way and you know it.”

“Well I’m not giving up hope.” 

He rolled his eyes. If it weren’t for the fact that she continued to give him mind-blowing orgasms despite the risk of death or serious bodily injury to herself, he would have stopped these hookups a long time ago. It also helped that her soul didn’t talk much.  When he first met her, he was uncertain whether she even had one.  She did—but she had clearly done things that caused it to go silent. “Whatever, licorice.”

His phone buzzed against the nightstand.  Cobra turned to look at it.  “Unknown.”

“I better get this.” The woman just rolled her eyes and turned her head away from him.  “Yeah,” he said, swiping right for the call.

“I’m sending you coordinates.  Meet me there in one hour’s time.”  The call went dead before he could even respond.

The day after his meeting with Akun, he was surprised to receive a message from an unknown number on his phone with instructions on what to do when he knew the location of Tenrou Island.  Following directives, he had texted the number provided the moment he felt Lucy make landfall.  He’d been following her movements intently through his conquest bond so he wouldn’t miss getting the information he needed.  The waiting had been increasingly anxiety inducing, which was what led to him texting for a hookup.

At least he was able to get off once before he had to meet this guy.  He had personally been told of Akun when he tried to sell the information to Grimoire Heart’s leader. 

_“He’s known as Akun.  My guess is that he would be interested in this information and happy to pay a good price for it,” the old bastard with a weird-ass beard said._

_Cobra huffed.  “And if you already know of the Island’s location, why are you not selling that information to him instead of me?”  Cobra had a nose for bullshit.  It was because the stuff was closely related to poison, or so he surmised._

_The man looked uncomfortable before finally responding, “There are things in my past which prevent me from doing so.  I’ll leave it at that.”_

_“Yeah well,” Cobra dropped the butt of a cigarette onto the ground and crushed it beneath his foot. “If anything goes wrong, I’m coming back to fuck you up.”_

_The bastard chuckled before walking away from Cobra with a wave._

“I gotta go, licorice.” Cobra snuffed the cigarette out in the glass tray and pulled the sheets back to exit the bed.  He stood naked, stretching his body out by reaching his hands up into the air.

“Do you have to?” the woman whined her disapproval.

Cobra rolled his eyes. “I just said so, didn’t I?” _“Why the hell do I keep forgetting to leave after I revive her? What the hell is wrong with me?”_

“Okay well, text me again sometime?” she sat up, letting the sheet fall away to expose her bountiful chest. Cobra knew the game she was trying to play but it wouldn’t work on him.  She couldn’t seduce him even if she came to him holding a bucket of botulinum toxins. 

Cobra pulled his maroon pants on, before he threw his black skin tight top over his head.  “Maybe,” he said flatly.

She crossed her arms under her chest, pouting but also trying to push her chest out further for his view.  Cobra simply turned his back to her to shrug his white coat on.  The woman clearly didn’t enjoy being ignored because she got out of the bed herself, not the least bit modest of her nudity and tried to wrap her arms around Cobra’s waist.  “Kiss before I go?”

Cobra simply separated her arms to escape her grasp and headed towards the door.  He ran his hands through his dark locks, straightening them so they reached higher back in height.

Without turning back to look at the woman he opened the door.  “Thanks for the blowjob, Minerva,” were the last words he said as he closed the door behind the near-furious woman.

 _“Where are we going?”_ Cubelios projected her thoughts to him as he hopped the fence and entered the woods outside the woman’s apartment complex.

Cobra relayed the coordinates to his friend before adding, _“How long do you think it will take us to get there?”_

The snake hissed slightly and allowed him to climb aboard as she took off into the air.  _“Thirty minutes, my guess.”_

Cobra nodded his acceptance, knowing he was connected to the snake in such a way that she understood him without having to say more.  As they headed towards the given location, the poison slayer reached out to his second soul.  Since Cobra’s magic allowed him to hear souls, we was actually able to have almost complete conversations with the soul contained in his lacrima.  Given that the lacrima had once belonged to two other slayers before him, he’d been able to learn a lot about being a dragon slayer—something he was certain others didn’t have the benefit of.

The dragon within his lacrima was once called Rancidus and when he lived on Earthland he had taken several conquests, never being interested in taking a mate.  The soul wasn’t certain how he’d come to be implanted within a lacrima and at first, he was not thrilled with the concept.

The first man who had been implanted with Rancidus was not compatible with the dragon’s personality. While living, Rancidus was a rather toxic creature in actions as well as magic and the man he had been tied to was not. The man resisted the dragon’s clear directives to take conquests when he had the opportunity and instead took a mate.

Displeased with his disobedience, Rancidus had done his best to drive the man into dangerous situations.  _“If by dangerous situations you mean death guaranteed, then sure,”_ the soul scoffed at Cobra’s reminiscing.

“ _You damn bastard.  You know how long it took me to trust you when I found that out?”_ Cobra projected back.

_“What? That I killed someone who wasn’t worthy to be called my partner? One would think that would make you proud.”_

_“You’re twisted_.” Cobra lit a cigarette as they were flying. He always felt like he needed extra poison after he let his body create an antidote.  It made him feel weak.

 _“You’re both twisted_ ,” Cubelios responded with exasperation.

Cobra snickered.  She was right.  He and Rancidus got along splendidly.  They both had the same devious drive and they both loved fucking with people.  The two were truly a match made in—

_“If you say heaven, I swear I’ll kill you just like I killed whatever his name was.”_

Cobra rolled his eyes.  _“I wasn’t gonna say anything.”_

_“Good.”_

_“And you’d never want to kill me.  If you did you might waste the entirety of your existence in the ground with me.”_

_“Maybe.  Or someone might come along again like last time,”_ his soul responded without missing a beat.

When Rancidus had quite literally driven his first mage off a cliff, the man’s mate had properly buried him with Rancidus still trapped inside.  It wasn’t until decades later that a scientist who had been engaging in some grave digging for subjects came across the lacrima.  As Rancidus once recalled to Cobra, _“There I was, laying in the man’s rotted and hollowed out chest and like some fucked up angel descended from some fucked up God, he uncovered me and took me in.”_

This second mage, Gaul was his name, had found a way to implant the lacrima into himself.  He and Rancidus had been a perfect match—almost as perfect as he and Cobra.  Gaul, a bit mad himself, was more than keen to listen to the musings of his second soul. He took conquests of other slayers, to Rancidus’ delight.  Not only that, but even when he finally decided to take a mate, he kept his conquests along with his mate.  Rancidus was strangely okay with that.

It’s how Cobra knew the implications of a conquest.  A conquest bond grew in strength the longer it was attached.  With each passing month it would become harder and harder to break. A conquest bond would never fade, either.  The only way to break it was for the mate to return and set his own bite into his mate once again.  A mating bond between two consenting partners would always be stronger than a conquest bond, no matter how long it was left marinating.  

Cobra wasn’t sure how the lacrima finally made its way into his body.  Gaul had left explicit instructions about having Rancidus’ lacrima removed and preserved upon his death so he might be passed to someone else who was worthy, how the object got into the hands of the cult followers in Caelum was not known.  And furthermore, how they’d figured out to implant it into Cobra was a mystery as well. But here they were.

 _“Either way, a little accidental maiming might be funny,”_ Rancidus added.

_“Fucker.”_

_“Speaking of which, remind me again why you refuse to bang that woman?”_

Cobra audibly sighed.  _“I’ve explained this to you.  She’s my blowjob bitch.  I use her for blowjobs.  Why doesn’t that make sense to you?”_

_“What doesn’t make sense to me is why you haven’t fucked that pretty little precious conquest of ours yet.”_

Cobra growled.  The fact that he’d been interrupted so many times with his precious Lucy had really irked him.  That and the fact that he wasn’t even anywhere near her to use her as he pleased.  Sure she had already done a great favor to him by providing him with such expensive information but, there were other things that he’d love to try on her.  And she looked like she had the body that could take it.

 _“We’re here.”_ Cubelios’ projection pulled Cobra out of his woolgathering.  He landed gracefully, jumping off her body to step onto the ground. 

He looked around, a bit confused.  _“Are you sure?”_

The snake said something rather impolite before slithering off through the grass to survey the surroundings.  Cobra looked around.  He was standing in the valley beside a large mountain range.  The ground beneath his feet was a mix of rock and grass and the trees had thinned significantly by the time they landed.  Following the slope of the structure up to the sky, he was barely able to make out a form at the alp’s summit.  For a split second, he was sure that he saw a large black and blue beast take flight but heavy cloud cover obscured his view.

He shuddered at a sensation that settled across the valley.  When that beast took flight, he almost felt frightened.  It was a feeling that he didn’t experience very often and it was quite disconcerting.  Within minutes the man he had met at the bar came walking towards him from the cliff.

Cobra furrowed his brow. He looked around again, trying to understand where this man had come from and how he or Cubelios could have missed his presence.  Things started aligning in Cobra’s mind: how this man’s soul didn’t sound human, the beast from earlier and his sudden appearance.

The poison slayer backed up a bit as Akun came closer.  _“If that’s even his real name,_ ” Cobra immediately pondered.

His vibrant white hair whipped around him in the wind, as did he cloak.  All in all, he had a very foreboding presence.  “You have the information?”

“You have the money?”

The man pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Cobra.  The poison slayer took it, quickly running his thumb over the bills. “This is only half.”

“You’ll get the other half when I get there and verify that the information is accurate.”  The voice he said it in didn’t leave room for argument. 

Cobra resisted the urge to argue.  Even Rancidus seemed placid, which was very strange for the poison dragon.  “Come back to this spot in one week.  If the information was accurate, I’ll be here with your other half.”

“Fine.”  Cobra handed the man a piece of paper with the location of the Island.  The man flipped the paper open and smiled the smallest amount.

Akun nodded signaling for Cobra to leave.  As he climbed aboard Cubelios, he turned around to say one more thing but was shocked when the man was gone.

Flying through the air, Rancidus reached out to him.  _“I know that man._ ”

_“Oh? And you’re just bringing this information up now, because?”_

Cobra was irritated. He hated feeling frightened. It wasn’t a good look on him.

_“Not that I need to answer your fuckliness, but the last time we met with him you were in that crowded excuse for a bar.  It wasn’t until now that I could hear his soul clearly through our bond.”_

_“And?”_ Cobra’s patience was a little stretched at the moment.

_“He’s not a human.  And he’s very dangerous.  His name is Acnologia.”_


	29. Nurem

“Why are you even here?” Laxus gruffed at Vander as they continued to hack their way through the dense forest.  Bosco was home to an extraordinary range of climatic regions, ranging from tropical in the south to temperate and alpine in the north. Unfortunately for Laxus, Nurem was hiding somewhere in the south of the country, where a rainy climate governed and humidity was close to one hundred percent.  He swatted at a misquito that buzzed at his ear in frustration. 

Vander smirked at the big blond.  “I could never miss a chance to see you rough it for a couple of days.  I thought you knew me better.”

“This is ridiculous! Remind me again why we can’t teleport to her location?”

Ahead, Cristoff continued to hack through the dense foliage of what was basically a rainforest. “Can’t risk leaving a magic residue that could clue Acnologia into where she’s hiding.  It’s why we can’t use our magic either,” Cristoff explained.  He so rarely got to visit Nurem because the journey was so arduous.  It had been at least five years since the last time he’d seen her.  Nothing was going to put him in a sour mood.  He was going to see his mother.

This was the second day of their hike and they were drawing closer to her location.  Cristoff assured Laxus that they were headed in the right direction.

_“How come I can’t feel any magical energy from her? She’s a dragon, yes? I should be able to sense her by now if we were close.”_

_“Like I said, she’s in hiding.  Special care has been taken to protect her.  That means no magical energy leak.  That would be a huge giveaway.”_

Laxus was pretty nervous about the entire situation.  What would he say to her when he got there? He didn’t even know what to ask.  Asking about conquests meant he was going to have to admit that he failed his mate, to a dragon queen, no less.  He wasn’t sure he’d be able to do it.

After his meeting with Arman, he’d gone back to his room and silently sobbed.  He hadn’t really processed that he had put Lucy at such risk and hearing that she had been bitten by a dark mage had done more than stung. Laxus had truly believed that leaving her by herself had been the right choice at the time.  After all, she rejected him in the infirmary.  It seemed like neither of them really understood what was at stake. And that was his fault, he knew it.

He tried to put it out of his mind and concentrate on his footing.  To Vander’s delight, the large man had lost his balance several times in the thick mud they were often traipsing through.  Laxus wasn’t entirely certain that Vander didn’t have something to do with it, however.

So lost in thought, Laxus almost barreled into Cristoff, who was standing still at the edge of a clearing. He started to ask what was going on but Cristoff shushed him.

In perfect draconian, Cristoff spoke.  “I am Cristoff, son of Nurem, here with my kin.  We humbly request entry.”

Laxus knew draconian existed but he had never bothered to learn the language.  The Lunar Slayer’s knowledge about their heritage truly impressed him.

In the middle of the clearing, something caught Laxus’ eye.  It was as if a man appeared out of a shimmer in the air.  With grace and elegance, he began to walk towards the three men.  Cristoff and Vander immediately bowed low.  Left standing and uncertain, Laxus followed their lead.

As he approached closer, Laxus could make out his features as he strained his neck a bit.  He was wearing a deep green three piece suit that fit him perfectly and contrasted with his bright complexion.  His almost silver blond hair was long on the top and combed back with shaved sides.  The man fixed his striking red eyes on the Lunar Slayer.

“Cristoff,” the man said in a booming yet sonorous voice.  “It is good to see you.”

“I am honored, Lord Draco,” Cristoff replied immediately.

“Enough of the formalities, stand, please, all of you.”  Laxus rolled his shoulders a bit as he brought himself back to his full height. He didn’t understand who this fucker was and why he had to bow to him in the first place. 

Cristoff embraced the strange man briefly, as did Vander.  The man approached Laxus, who tensed a bit.  “I am Draco, keeper of the north pole of the ecliptic, mate to Nurem and protector of the northern sky.”  He extended his hand out to the large blond.

Laxus shook it uncertainly. “Laxus Dreyar.”

“In the flesh.  I do know of you, but am pleased to finally make your acquaintance.”  Draco turned his eyes back to Cristoff.  “What brings you here, son?”

“We are in need of guidance from Nurem regarding the Mating.  I am pleased that you are here, as well.  Given you yourself are a dragon, we may also draw from your knowledge,” Cristoff responded.

Draco nodded in understanding.  “I shall take you to her then.”

The three followed Draco into the clearing.  Passing the threshold was an odd sensation.  Sensing his discomfort, Draco turned to address Laxus.  “You are feeling the magic dampening field.  You are free to use magic within this area, but only within this area.  Once you step outside the field, magic signatures will again be traceable.” Laxus nodded his understanding, letting his lightning play over his fingertips slightly just to get his blood moving.  Two whole days without touching his magic had nearly been torture.

The quad walked in silence through the clearing.  After a few minutes of increasing foliage, rising above them was the mouth of a large cave.  The outside was completely covered in hanging vines and moss.  Laxus gulped, trying to stop the very real trembling he was feeling.

“Don’t worry,” Vander snickered, leaning over towards Laxus.  “With Cristoff here, I’m sure she won’t lose her shit too bad at your fuck up.”

Laxus rolled his eyes. “Thanks for that, Vander.”

The man put his hand to his chest and bowed dramatically.  “I live to serve.”

“I bet,” Laxus muttered under his breath.

“This way,” Draco directed them all into the cave.  It was different than Laxus had expected.  While it was colder, the walls were covered with soft moss on the inside of the cave as well, so much so that their footsteps didn’t echo throughout the stone walls.

Small scones lit their way. As they traveled further, Laxus was able to pick up on the sound of rushing water.  Finally, they all reached what Laxus had presumed was the end of the cave without seeing Nurem.  The blond furrowed his brow but before he had the chance to ask any questions, Draco pushed on a hidden wall, which opened up to an incredible oasis.

A majestic waterfall on the opposite side of the space created rising mist that obscured Laxus’ vision somewhat but he could still see that this was a sanctuary beyond anything he could imagine.  The entire place was covered in greenery and flowers.  The lake, formed from the waterfall, had several large islands where he distinctly saw a large dragon resting.

She was a vision. A cross between a deep blue and purple, it was difficult to truly tell her color as it shifted with every small movement.  She stretched her long wings out behind her to take flight and they shimmered in the soft light of the valley.  Laxus followed his gaze to her head and noticed two slender long horns curving gracefully from her forehead, both ending in points.  Her tail curled as she lifted herself into the air. Laxus shielded his eyes somewhat from the windstorm she kicked up as she landed around them. 

As she landed, Laxus watched in absolute awe as the magnificent creature transformed into a woman right before his eyes.  Wings folding into her back, horns reducing to nothing, midnight blue hair cascading in waves down her back—in a word she was stunning.  A flowing pale dress covered her body, looking more like shimmering liquid than any material Laxus recognized.

“My son.” Cristoff rushed forward into her open arms at her invitation. 

“Mother, I know it is you, but when did you learn this transformation?”

Her eyes twinkled at Draco. “Being the mate of a powerful celestial spirit has its benefits.”  Cristoff withdrew and she beckoned Vander to her side.  “Kin of my kin, have you been behaving yourself?”

Vander embraced the woman with a grin.  “Absolutely not.”

She laughed—the sound simply enchanting.  “I would have been nervous if you said you had.”  She smiled as he withdrew.  Finally she turned her eyes to Laxus.

“Mother, this is Laxus. He has come here seeking your wisdom,” Cristoff explained.

Laxus shifted uncomfortably, not sure what he should do at the moment.  “Child, do not be afraid.  I am honored that you have come here to seek my help.  There is much pain I can see written on your face.  Please, come and we shall talk.”  She held her arm out and Laxus approached her, allowing her to thread her arm through his.

Cristoff and Vander began to follow but Nurem smiled sweetly at them, before holding up her hand.  “I believe Laxus and I would benefit from the time alone.  We will talk after, my son.”

Cristoff nodded his acceptance and watched as his mother led Laxus to a covered gazebo on the other side of the valley.

. . .

Laxus took a hesitant seat across from the woman on one of the white benches.  Nurem shook her head and patted the area next to her.  Laxus took in a deep breath to try and calm his nerves and slid over to where she was sitting.

Putting her hand on top of his, she rested her head against his broad shoulder.  “Now, tell me what pains you, child.”

“With all due respect, ma’am. I’m no longer a child,” Laxus said stiffly.

Nurem’s laughter filled the structure.  “When you get to be my age, everyone is a child in comparison.” Laxus let out an uncomfortable chuckle before Nurem continued.  “Now, perhaps I shall begin, to put you at better ease?”

Laxus nodded his agreement and Nurem rested her head back on his shoulder.  “I know your second soul.”  At hearing those words, Laxus had to restrain himself from jumping up, so he didn’t throw the woman off balance. 

“You do?” he asked incredulously.

“Oh yes.  Electrum and I were close friends when he was still living. It was a shame that he perished the way he did.  I imagine he has carried some of that anguish forward and into you.”

Laxus shook his head. “I’m sorry, but would you mind explaining?”

“I do not like to relive the memory, but for your sake, I will.”  Laxus gulped, not meaning to cause her pain.  “He had always believed in human and dragon coexistence, like me. We fought together alongside the human slayers. Sadly it was towards the end of the Dragon King Festival; that Great War which wiped out the majority of our numbers, in which he was murdered.”

“Murdered?” Laxus’ eyes widened, trying to sit still as the woman was still resting her head on his shoulder.

“Yes.  As I said, his death was truly a tragedy.  I have no doubt he carried it forward in his very soul, which you now possess.”  Laxus waited patiently for Nurem to continue, not wanting to push the woman.  “I doubt it is common knowledge, but dragons can only gift slayer magic to one mage in a lifetime.  When they do, the two form an incredibly strong bond, almost akin to the Mating bond but more like a kinship.  Something you would experience between a parent and child.”

“So you have that bond with Cristoff?”

“Oh yes,” her soft voice filled the gazebo and Laxus found it strangely calming.  “If I reach for him, I can sense what his moods are and whether he is healthy or in danger.  It has been hard, being locked up here in hiding.  Distance, while it could never break a bond, can strain it and weaken it.” She sighed lightly before continuing.  “A dragon will merely bestow the ability to perform dragon slayer magic upon a human.  What type of dragon slayer magic that human chooses to learn is separate.  However, most children learn from their dragon, thus sharing the same magic.”

“Like Natsu and Igneel?”

“Right, so you understand now when I say how special sharing the gift of a dragon’s magic with a human is. It is a bond of trust.  The dragon is giving a human an ability to kill its own kind.”

“Heavy shit,” Laxus said automatically before realizing what he had done. 

Nurem simply giggled before continuing.  “Well, Electrum experienced that ultimate betrayal.  His own son turned his gift against him to kill him. He killed many others that supported our cause as well and by bathing in their blood, became extremely powerful.”

Laxus furrowed his brow. The details of this sounded eerily familiar.  “Who was Electrum’s human son?”

“Acnologia.”

. . .

Vander had gone off to explore the Valley, leaving Cristoff and Draco to themselves.  The two men found a quiet spot to sit and wait for the other pair.

“So, why is it you are here? I know it is a difficult journey so there must be a truly pressing reason for you to travel this far,” Draco asked of Cristoff.

Cristoff nodded, expecting the question from Draco.  The spirit was shrewd and liked to be fully informed.  “Laxus unintentionally began the Mating with a member of his Guild.” Draco uncharacteristically whistled. “That’s not all.”  The spirit raised a silver eyebrow.  “He was expelled from the Guild and left his newly marked Mate behind.”

“Was she--?” Draco began but stopped as Cristoff nodded his head.

“She was attached by another slayer while on a mission.  She’s been bitten and I felt it snap the Mating bond with Laxus.”

“So she’s been taken as a Conquest then,” Draco said somberly.

“What do you know of Conquests?”  Cristoff had hoped Draco would know something of them, given that his mother never spoke of them.

“I know much, but it is not something of which I am fond of speaking.”  He looked up to see Cristoff’s pleading eyes.  “But I suppose in this instance it is warranted.”

Cristoff leaned forward to listen to the spirit’s explanation.

“As you know, it takes two marks to create a Mating bond.  For dragons, each would take turns setting their mark, exchanging magic in the process.  For humans where one is not a slayer, both marks will be set by the slayer.” Cristoff nodded, acknowledging his understanding.  “Once the first mark is set, it takes time for the partner to adjust to the tentative bond and influx of magic before the second mark can be effectively set.  But during this time, a newly marked mate will be flush with pheromones that will attract other dragons.  With humans, it will attract other slayers.”

Draco sighed.  He disliked this topic very much.  In all his years watching from the northern sky, he had only seen one human slayer take conquests from other slayers.  His name was Gaul and he had been implanted with the soul of Rancidus, a poison dragon that had been odious even when alive. Gaul had disrupted the mating bonds of two slayers during his time on Earth and Draco internally cringed, knowing that the original mates were never able to reclaim them.

“What happens when a Mating bond is snapped by a Conquest?  Is there any hope for the pair?”

“I have not seen a mate be reclaimed, but then again, I have only ever witnessed two Conquests in my entire lifetime.  They are rare among humans, given how few slayers there are.”  Cristoff nodded as Draco continued.  “But, that is not to say it cannot be done.  A slayer can reclaim his mate.  A mating bond formed through mutual love and trust will always be stronger than any conquest bond.”

“What happens to the Conquest if they are not brought back to their Mate?”

Draco heaved another breath. “From what I saw, they will slowly lose their own personality.  They will become more at the will of their master until their identity is subsumed within the conquest.  It is not pleasant for anyone who respects free will.”

“So then, you’re saying that Lucy will eventually lose who she is and become—what, a slave?—to this dark mage?” Cristoff asked incredulously.

“Are you telling me that the woman who Laxus began to Mate with and then allowed to be claimed by a dark wizard is Lucy of Fairy Tail? Lucy Heartfilia, the celestial wizard?” Draco’s concern was showing slightly on his normally serene face.

“Yes,” Cristoff replied calmly.  There was no sense in trying to soften the blow.  It was what it was.

“This is not good. The Conquest bond _must_ be broken,” Draco said urgently.  “How long has it been since it was formed?”

Cristoff scratched the back of his neck.  “Laxus’ Mating bond was broken the night of the full moon.  So under a month.”  Cristoff furrowed his brow.  “Why the urgency.”

“When a Conquest bond is made, if it is allowed to strengthen and flourish, the master will eventually be able to control the conquestee’s magic if they are a mage.  In the cases of physical magic, such as fire or ice, this is dangerous but not life altering.  However,” Draco looked grave.  “In the case of a powerful celestial wizard, this dark mage might be able to access the celestial spirit world, if he is clever enough.  He could wreak terrible havoc on this and other planes within the universe.”

Cristoff’s eyes widened in shock.  “As I said, this must be fixed, immediately,” Draco said.

As soon as those words left his mouth, Laxus appeared with Nurem at his side.  The blond slayer looked directly at Cristoff.  “Tell me where Lucy is.”


	30. Moxy

Akun, or rather Acnologia, stealthily shifted into his dragon form and flew back to his lair. Closing his large wings around him, he began his descent, landing on the outcropping of rock gracefully.  As he shifted back into his original form, he rolled his shoulders and sighed.  “Perhaps at last I will find a worthy opponent.”

His home was one he had made himself, blasting the side of the mountain with his roar.  He had created a large cave and cloud cover always obscured the opening.  He knew that no human would be able to reach it and he was likely the last dragon.

“My race has become so pathetic,” he mused to himself as he cast off his cloak and took a seat at a table hewn from rock.  “In all my years on this plane, not one has been able to successfully challenge me. How will I ever get stronger?”

Acnologia reminisced about the first time he was told the true secret to power.

_“Father, I’m afraid!” the young boy was shaking slightly as he stood behind Electrum’s leg, not willing to face the other slayer child in the training ring.  His small hands clenched lightly against the beast’s golden scales._

_“There is no need to fear, Akun,” Electrum said in as soft a voice as he could.  He had rescued this orphaned boy after a particularly gruesome battle.  The boy’s parents had been slaughtered in the fighting and the child had been left crying in the embers of what was once his house._

_Electrum’s heart ached when he saw him.  Never having the chance to take a Mate himself, he yearned for children.  But being in the midst of the Great War was not the time to birth hatchlings.  So he took the boy in and vowed to raise him as his own._

_It was understandable that the child had anxiety and feared battle. His entire life changed as a result of one, but Electrum knew that if he were to survive this Great War, Akun would need to improve in both his magic and his confidence._

_So he tried to everything he could to encourage the child towards those goals.  Nudging the child forward with his snout gently, he spoke.  “I am going to share a secret with you, my son.”  Akun turned to look at his father with wide eyes.  “The secret to ultimate power is to continuously seek worthy opponents.  It is only by challenging yourself that you will ever be able to grow stronger.”_

_Akun’s eyes widened further.  “I must fight worthy opponents to become stronger?”_

_Electrum nodded, satisfied that he was finally getting through to the child.  “Yes, my son. One should never be okay with complacency in this life.  The only way we grow stronger is to strive to better ourselves.”_

_“If I do this, will I no longer be afraid?” Akun asked in earnest._

_Electrum nodded his head.  “The more you challenge yourself, the more you will grow confident in your skills.  You will be a powerful mage one day.  I assure you!”_

Acnologia sighed.  It was truly a shame that even his father turned out not to be a worthy opponent.  His hearth clenched slightly at the memory. He had truly hoped that the old dragon could have beaten him.  But even he proved himself pathetic.

None of the dragons had been worthy opponents and Acnologia worried that without someone to challenge him, he would become stagnant.  More than that, he needed to keep the fear at bay.  But without a worthy opponent, he knew that fear would return.  His father, while not strong enough to challenge him, was wise while he was living.

So to keep the fear at bay, Acnologia continuously searched for a worthy opponent. People misunderstood him.  They thought he had fought against dragons in the Great War when he killed so many of their kind.  They were misinformed.  He had not fought against dragons.  He was not fighting against anyone.  He was merely seeking a worthy opponent so he could continue to grow and keep the fear away.

“That one mage from Fairy Tail had been promising,” he mused to himself.  “But ultimately he fell just like the rest of them.”  Acnologia made a tisk with his mouth.  “If I hadn’t been overzealous in shaking him when I had him in my jaws, his limbs wouldn’t have separated, allowing him to be thrown to the other side of the island.  He’s alive because of my carelessness.”

Acnologia had heard that real dragon slayers had once again entered this plane.  “After so many years, my own kind has somehow returned.” A little reconnaissance had revealed that the majority of them were members of the Fairy Tail Guild and that their strongest were due to gather at a specific hidden location once per year. Acnologia knew that would be the perfect opportunity to test his strength.  “Perhaps one of them will be worthy.  I can only hope.”

He tried to put the thought of whether any of them would be female out of his mind.  He had felt the Mating pull before, but even she had proven herself unworthy.  “I could never be with someone who was that weak,” he affirmed to himself, remembering how his would-be Mate had perished in his challenge. 

Feeling rested enough, he walked back to the edge of the cave.  “I look forward to testing your worth, Fairy Tail slayers.”

. . .

_Cristoff’s eyes widened in shock.  “As I said, this must be fixed, immediately,” Draco said._

_As soon as those words left his mouth, Laxus appeared with Nurem at his side.  The blond slayer looked directly at Cristoff.  “Tell me where Lucy is.”_

. . .

“She’s on Tenrou Island,” Cristoff responded immediately. 

Laxus turned around to face Nurem and she smiled.  He bowed low over her hands, kissing her knuckles gently.  “Thank you, for all that you have done for me.”

“I wish you luck, my child,” the woman replied in her beautiful voice.  A smile graced her features as Laxus stood and met her gaze. Setting his jaw he turned back to Cristoff.  “I know the way.”

“I understand the urgency, but it’s quite a distance,” Cristoff furrowed his brow in concern.

“And _that’s_ why I cam along.  Cause I’m useful as fuck,” Vander guffawed.

“Vander! Language in front of mother,” Cristoff hissed.

Vander snickered and covered his mouth before looking at Nurem, who merely winked at him.  “I can get you to Tenrou through the Voids. It’ll leave you a little weakened but once there, thirty minutes should be plenty of time to recover.”

“Good,” Laxus said with renewed purpose.  “And thanks,” he added.

Vander met his gaze and nodded.  “If it’s alright with you, I will stay back,” Cristoff looked between his brother and Laxus before finally looking at his mother.  “It has been so long.”

Both men nodded their acceptance.  Saying their thanks once more, they turned and exited the oasis.  Upon their departure, Cristoff turned to his mother and she beckoned him forward.  They walked side by side through the lush scenery as Draco followed a short distance behind them.

“Mother?”

“Yes, my son?” she linked her arm through his as they walked.

“Would you mind telling me how you got through to Laxus?  Since he’s come to Bosco I have attempted to convince him to act on this issue and he resisted me at every turn.  What could you possibly have said to him to make him change his mind?”

A gentle smile graced Nurem’s lips.  “It is not my place to tell you.  Perhaps in time, when he’s processed all that has happened, he will be able to share it with you.”

Cristoff sighed and put it out of his mind, instead opting to enjoy the presence of his mother, whom he missed so much.

. . .

“Damn this jungle,” Laxus cursed under his breath as the two men walked through the thicket.  “I need to get to Lucy and we’ve got a two day hike ahead of us!”  Laxus’ frustration was building and he was trying to tamp it down.

“Not necessarily.  I don’t like to do it but I can pull my magic signature into the Voids with us.  Once we get a good distance from the entrance point, I can pull us back home,” Vander responded easily.

Laxus stood stunned, looking at the Shadowquip.  “Why did you not do this before?”

Vander turned around and narrowed his red eyes.  “Like I said, I don’t like to do it.  Shadows in the Voids feed on magic.  It’s a risk I don’t normally take if not necessary.  But, it seems like you’ve got some urgent shit that’s making you turn one-eighty.  So we’ll risk it for something this important.”

Laxus shook his head slightly.  “Wow, man. Thanks, I—“

Vander cut him off. “Just keep walking.  I’ll think of some way you can thank me later,” he added with a smirk.

Laxus rolled his eyes. Classic Vander was never far away.

The pair walked in silence, giving Laxus time to reflect on all that had traversed between him and Nurem.

_“The name of the slayer who took your Mate is Cobra.  He possesses the soul of a poison dragon called Rancidus.  He fought against us in the Great War and was not friendly even on his best day.”_

_“How do you know this?” Laxus asked incredulously.  It had been difficult to admit to the woman what had happened but once the truth was out, Laxus found the conversation came easy._

_“From time to time, I watch the skies with my Mate.  I am a Lunar Dragon, after all.  My magic is tied up with his in a very intricate way,” she explained, still resting her head on his shoulder.  “If you know what to look for, you’d be amazed at what you can observe from the night sky.”_

_“Everyone wants me to return to her.  But I don’t know how I can after everything that’s happened.  I doubt she even wants anything to do with me,” Laxus said in despair._

_“Perhaps I can give you some information that will assist you in your decision.  A Conquest bond is not one of trust, nor is it one of endurance.  It was designed to take a dragon’s Mate in order to weaken an opponent.  In this way, a Conquest bond presents a real danger to the one claimed.  Back before the Great War, we called this taken Mate a ‘Claimed.’”_

_Laxus furrowed his brow, not completely understanding what Nurem was saying.  “I don’t follow.”_

_Nurem sighed, clearly uncomfortable with the subject matter, but continued.  “A dragon, or in this case, a dragon slayer’s magic only travels one way in a Conquest bond. That continuous influx of magic is what eventually subdues a Claimed.”_

_“Right,” Laxus nodded his head in understanding.  Nurem had explained to him the basics of a Conquest bond before she began discussing Cobra._

_“Without the reciprocal channel back, like in a Mating bond, the magic forced on a Claimed will eventually be too much for it,” she said somberly._

_“Are you saying--?”_

_“Yes,” she interrupted.  “Every time Cobra exerts control over Lucy, his magic is being forced on the woman.  Given that he practices poison magic, he is in essence, slowly poisoning her.”_

_At this, Laxus did jump up.  Nurem smoother her skirt and sat up straight, allowing the larger male to pace around the small space.  She understood it was a lot to take in.  “What will happen to her? How long?” Laxus’ mind was moving at lightning speed._

_“It’s difficult to say.”  Nurem tapped a slender finger to her lips.  “It’s going to depend on how her body reacts to the poison magic.  When Rancidus’ former slayer, Gaul, took Conquests, the only way he kept them continuously healthy was by pumping an antidote into their system on a regular basis.”_

_“But Lucy isn’t near him now!” Laxus nearly yelled in frustration._

_Nurem nodded her head.  “I understand your frustration, child.  Please, try and calm yourself.”_

_Laxus ran his fingers through his hair roughly.  “How can I calm myself?  You’re telling me that my fuck up could kill Lucy.”  He felt liquid begin to well in his eyes.  He widened them and looked up, trying his best to dry whatever tears might fall._

_Nurem made a gentle sound before getting up and wrapping her arms around him.  Laxus resisted at first but as she held him tight against her body, he finally relaxed into her hold and sobbed silently on her shoulder.  Nurem moved them both back to the bench where she allowed Laxus to cry his pain and frustrations out in her grasp._

_After a few minutes, he finally sat up.  Nurem swiped the tears falling from his right eye off his face as he used his palm on his left.  When he finally recovered, he looked at her with determination.  “How can I fix this?”_

_Nurem smiled.  “Through a successful Mating mark.”_

_“What?” Laxus’ eyes widened in panic again._

_“It is the only way.  You do not need to set the second bite and complete the bond if you decide not to be together.”_

_Laxus furrowed his brow and opened his mouth to speak but Nurem continued.  “Contrary to popular belief, there is not one Mate destined for dragons or slayers.  So long as magic is compatible, a dragon or slayer will feel the draw.  That is what actually makes the Mating that much more special.  It is not some forced directive of fate.  The act of choosing to bind yourself to another for life is an expression of love and free will.”_

_Laxus scoffed.  “Yeah, which I did by mistake.”_

_Nurem shook her head.  “Even if you had attempted to set the second bite in the heat of passion, it would never have created a Mating bond.  Mating bonds can only be formed through intent and mutual consent.”_

_“So setting one Mark will break the Conquest?”_

_“Not entirely.”  Nurem held up her hand as Laxus deflated  “A strong Conquest bond is not easily broken.  Only a Mating mark made through mutual trust will be enough to break a strong Conquest bond.  You will need to earn this trust.”  Given the length of time the Conquest had been in place, Nurem doubted it would take a full Mating to break the bond.  There was no sense in panicking the poor slayer further._

_Laxus nodded his head in understanding.  “How will I know if it worked?”_

_“You will feel an overwhelming need to protect her, much like you did the last time.  This time do not ignore or fight it.  And remember, after one Mark, she will be vulnerable just the same.  I’m sure I don’t have to remind you about your duty to this woman the second time around.”_

_Laxus smiled slightly and shook his head.  “Definitely not.  I swear I will be there for her.”_

_Nurem nodded in approval.  “Once the first mark is set, you will need to protect her until it fades and heals.  Once that has happened, the ordeal will be over.  As I said, you two do not have to go through the full Mating if you choose not to.”_

_Laxus nodded his head.  “I very much doubt she will want to even look at me after all of this. And if that is her choice, I will respect it.”  He turned to sit in front of Nurem and took her hands in his.  “Thank you.  I am in your debt.”_

_Nurem smiled and touched a hand to his cheek.  Laxus closed his eyes, letting the feeling of the mother’s love wash over him.  It was something he had never experienced in his life and even for just a fleeting moment, he basked in it.  “Do not doubt yourself, child.  You have a greatness in you, you have yet to discover.  Remember, I’m old.” Laxus looked at her with widened eyes and she winked at him before adding, “and therefore very wise.”_

“You ready?” Vander asked, pulling Laxus out of his thoughts.

“Yeah,” Laxus responded, squaring his shoulders.  The blond closed his eyes as Vander pulled him close.  _Please hold on, Lucy.  I’m on my way._


	31. Poison

. . .

Akun nodded signaling for Cobra to leave. As he climbed aboard Cubelios, he turned around to say one more thing but was shocked when the man was gone.

Flying through the air, Rancidus reached out to him. _"I know that man._ "

_"Oh? And you're just bringing this information up now, because?"_

Cobra was irritated. He hated feeling frightened. It wasn't a good look on him.

_"Not that I need to answer your fuckliness, but the last time we met with him you were in that crowded excuse for a bar. It wasn't until now that I could hear his soul clearly through our bond."_

_"And?"_ Cobra's patience was a little stretched at the moment.

_"He's not a human. And he's very dangerous. His name is Acnologia."_

. . .

Cobra rolled his shoulders, trying to cast off the feeling of unease that suddenly surrounded him. " _Well, none of that matters now."_

Rancidus snickered. _"If you say so."_

Cobra narrowed his eyes. _"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"_

_"I'm just saying that you sent one of the most dangerous creatures to the very same location where your Conquest is currently located."_

Cobra paused for a minute. Rancidus was his second soul and resided within him, but that didn't mean the former dragon wasn't past fucking with him. Although, he did have a point. Messing around with Lucy and her precious little Guild was quickly becoming a favorite past time for the Poison Slayer. Not to mention that having her as an unwitting informant gave Cobra a good deal of high-priced information to sell. _"The girl's a fairly strong wizard. I'm sure she'll be able to handle herself."_

 _"I don't doubt the first part but, given the current circumstances, the second is somewhat debatable,"_ the soul said with a good deal of snark.

Cobra audibly sighed and threw up his hands. Any onlooker would have been thoroughly confused to watch the man display different emotions with no one in the area. " _And what the fuck is THAT supposed to mean?"_

_"I thought you knew."_

Cobra growled in frustration. _"What did you think I knew?"_

 _"Nevermind. It's really not all that important."_ Cobra could hear Rancidus' laughter clear through their link.

Cobra rolled his eyes. " _Would you stop fucking with me?"_

The laughter died down and Rancidus projected in a serious tone. _"If I were fucking with you, would that be a form of incest? I'm not really sure on the mechanics here given that I reside within you."_ Cobra's left eye began to twitch. _"Wait, if I'm already in you, are we currently doing the deed? Like all the time? Ha! That would make you the woman!"_

 _"Oh my god."_ Cobra pinched the bridge of his nose. _"Are you going to tell me what's going on with the Conquest or not?"_

 _"Fine. You're no fun today."_ Cobra rolled his eyes. He _was_ fun. Oh was he ever. However, the entire meeting with Acnologia coupled with Rancidus' warning had him slightly on edge. Not to mention, seeing that magnificent beast in the cloud cover early. Everything felt wrong.

_"I meant what I said about it not being all that important. At this rate, you'll likely only get another few months out of the girl. So who really cares?"_

Cobra furrowed his brow. _"Another few months? What, is she dying or something?"_

_"Well, yeah!"_

Cobra was stunned. She seemed perfectly healthy when he had claimed her. And he hadn't sensed anything through the bond. He was pretty sure that she hadn't even gone to a doctor's appointment. _"What is she dying of?"_

_"You."_

_"Me?"_

_"You."_

_"Fuck this shit. If you're not gonna be serious with me, I don't have to talk to you."_ Cobra was seething by this time.

_"You do actually. I can push through the bond. One of the benefits of being on top."_

Attempting to ignore the soul's antics, Cobra opted to ask pointed questions. _"How is this girl dying of me?"_

_"Simple, you're poisoning her."_

_"How is that even possible? She's miles away."_ Cobra was genuinely perplexed by this.

" _Through the bond, numbnuts."_

_"What?"_

Rancidus sighed, internally questioning how he had managed to end up in such a stupid host.

" _I fucking heard that."_

_"Oops. Anyways, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted. Every time you exert control over this girl through the Conquest bond, you are using your magic to influence her. In our case, that's poison. So, yeah. She gonna be dead soon."_

Cobra's eyes widened. _"Why didn't you tell me this?"_

If Rancidus had shoulders, he would have shrugged. _"I dunno. Seemed like fun to see what would happen this time?"_

_"This time? What do you mean this time?"_

_"Well, the other Conquests were close by. I was able to instruct Gaul to give them antidotes to keep them alive. Otherwise they would have died too. They eventually did, of course. But he at least prolonged their life by several years."_

Cobra all but stomped his foot, very uncharacteristically. _"Rancidus. I was fucking_ enjoying _having a Conquest. This girl is very useful."_

_"Not to mention hot as hell. Not that you've done anything about that."_

_"Not for lack of trying."_

_"Touché douché."_

_"So, there's nothing I can do to stop this?"_

_"At this point, it's kinda hard to know. She might be too far-gone. Or the distance may have slowed the effects. Like I said, I kinda wanted to see what would happen this time."_

_"Yeah and fuck you very much Randi," Cobra sneered, his lip visibly arching up in sync with his thoughts._

" _You're much obliged,"_ Rancidus responded without missing a beat. _"But I guess the only way you could stop this is by hauling ass out to wherever she is and pumping an antidote into her."_ A pause, " _and maybe while you're out there, you could pump something else into her."_

_"You proud of yourself for that one?"_

_"Actually, yes."_

_"Not really too keen on heading out to the place where Akun-Acnologia is currently headed."_

_"Well, I guess that makes you a pussy. And pussies don't get pussy. Fact of life."_

_"Fuck you."_

_"I thought we already went over that bit?"_

. . .

Lucy was exhausted already, which was odd. The fight between her and Cana, Bickslow and Freed hadn't been going on for too long, but she was already feeling quite drained. And summoning Aries combined with her "Lucy Kick" to knock out Bickslow had been exhausting.

"Not that this hasn't been amusing, but if you're done," Freed said in a somewhat agitated tone.

"Forgot about him," Cana sighed, trying to rack her brain for an idea.

"I'm all out of ideas," Lucy added. _"And energy,"_ she added to herself.

Bickslow was watching Lucy from the beginning. He'd noticed that she seemed less than her usual self, which was odd because they had just started battling. The Seith had clued Freed into what was going on while they were waiting for their opponents to arrive. They had agreed that if it was Lucy and Cana they faced, for the sake of both women, they would throw the match. Bickslow nodded to Freed and the Rune mage nodded back in understanding.

"Fine, I'll just use this again!" Cana threw the card out, as models surrounded Freed. Freed acted completely flustered, playing up his minimal discomfort. Purposefully stumbling into the trap he'd seen Cana lay, the fight was over and the duo departed through the exit.

Bickslow sat up, rubbing where Lucy had hit him. "You sure this was for the best? You lost S-class."

"I'm sure. If it had been anyone else, I would have given the fight my all. But I feel I owe those two a debt of sorts. Giving them this victory seems like a fair way to pay it off," Freed explained.

Bickslow nodded. "You notice anything different about Lucy?"

Freed nodded his head somberly. "She seemed out of breath from the beginning. Everything you disclosed to me is quite concerning."

"Yeah, well. There's nothing we can really do for now but watch from the sidelines."

"Agreed."

. . .

Lucy sighed as she let her body float in the water. "This is exactly what I needed. Feels great."

Cana furrowed her brow. She was sitting on the rock near the waterfall, watching Lucy float in the water. "I've never seen anyone get overheated so easily."

Lucy's nerves shot up slightly. _"Can she tell that something's up with me? I hope I didn't let her down or something."_ "Like I can help it when it's so freaking hot out here," she said with a nervous chuckle.

"Hey, we should get going," Cana admonished.

Lucy cringed. She was still feeling extremely tired and was worried about whether she would be up to the next challenge if she didn't get her energy back. "Can we stay a little longer? It's not like we're in a rush or anything."

"What's with this 'I don't give a crap attitude?'" Cana asked, getting slightly agitated.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Lucy responded, trying to stall.

"I'm worried Natsu's stupidity might be rubbing off on you."

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm being hard headed because I don't wanna get out right now," Lucy said honestly.

"Give me a break. So the first time you decide to set boundaries is with me, while we're on my S-class trial? Nice, Lucy. Real nice," Cana said stiffly.

Lucy turned to sit up in the water, feeling extremely offended suddenly. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you let everyone walk all over you in your life," Cana said with a little more force than she intended.

_How dare she…_

"How dare you say something like that to me? I'm here busting my butt trying to help you get S-class and now you're insulting me?"

Cana was beyond frustrated. The stress of the trials coupled with Guildarts being on the Island had her on emotional overload and unable to cull her words. "Everyone sees it. You let Natsu raid your apartment all the time and you can never say no to anybody!"

"Should I have said no to you then? Maybe I should have! Since you so clearly don't seem to need my help!"

"That's not what I meant at all!" Cana all but yelled.

_You need space…_

"Of course not. Because it serves you. Look, I don't think either of us are in a good place right now. I'm going to head back to the meeting spot on my own," Lucy huffed, getting out of the water.

Both women turned away in a huff, walking in opposite directions. Miles away, a certain Poison Slayer sat chuckling, feeling mildly guilty for perhaps poisoning the girl that much more just for shits and giggles. _"Totally worth it."_

 


	32. Yes, Sir

. . .

_Cana was beyond frustrated. The stress of the trials coupled with Guildarts being on the Island had her on emotional overload and unable to cull her words. "Everyone sees it. You let Natsu raid your apartment all the time and you can never say no to anybody!"_

_"_ _Should I have said no to you then? Maybe I should have! Since you so clearly don't seem to need my help!"_

_"_ _That's not what I meant at all!" Cana all but yelled._

You need space…

_"_ _Of course not. Because it serves you. Look, I don't think either of us are in a good place right now. I'm going to head back to the meeting spot on my own," Lucy huffed, getting out of the water._

_Both women turned away in a huff, walking in opposite directions. Miles away, a certain Poison Slayer sat chuckling, feeling mildly guilty for perhaps poisoning the girl that was much more than just for shits and giggles. "Totally worth it."_

. . .

Cobra turned his attention back to the fight in front of him. He was hiding out near an outcropping of rocks, watching as some busty redhead he vaguely remembered poisoning fought—he wasn't sure—cause it looked like she was fighting a tree.

_"_ _Well, at least we'll know who has the bigger woody when this is over."_

_"_ _Focus, dipshit,"_ Rancidus scolded Cobra. " _We're here to reclaim a certain Conquest, unless you forgot."_

 _"_ _One does not simply forget tits that nice, ass hat,"_ Cobra responded.

If Rancidus drew breath, he would have sighed. _"God wasted a good asshole when he put teeth in your mouth."_

Cobra chuckled quietly, not wanting to draw attention to himself. Word sparring with Rancidus had always been a personal favorite of his. He reached out for Cubelios and she slithered towards him from a nearby tree. Hopping on, he directed her to take him to where Lucy was.

The large snake allowed Cobra to hop off several miles from where they had previously been. They had landed on one of the beaches where Lucy was look ecstatic over— _"what the fuck, why is she smiling about a key ring?"_

 _"_ _You're not the dumbest person on the planet, but you better hope she doesn't die,"_ Rancidus projected dryly. _"Were you not paying attention, she just recovered some goat-spirit in a battle."_

_"_ _Man, I am not dignifying your spunk talk with an answer."_

_"_ _You better hurry the fuck up, numbnuts. Unless you also forgot that you sold the location of this island to a scary as fuck human dragon creature thing."_

But Cobra couldn't be bothered with responding to Rancidus' sass at the moment. He hadn't forgotten about Acnologia's likely impending presence. He also knew that he needed to give the girl an antidote and rather quickly. But seeing Lucy there on the beach in nothing but a white bikini, looking as happy as ever, had him thinking all sorts of dirty thoughts.

As if second nature, Cobra walked right up to the girl as she sat in the lapping waves. "Hello precious," he said, crouching down to her level.

Lucy felt the itch between her shoulders—the one she'd felt since she'd landed on this island—grow. She turned around as she heard footsteps in the sand. Cobra deepened his voice and spoke a little louder than usual. As he approached, her gaze immediately shot to the ground and he looked at her with assessing eyes. "You missed me," he said authoritatively.

Keeping her eyes down, Lucy responded. "I missed you, Sir."

Internally, Cobra reveled in the feelings of power and lust that hit him like a freight train. "Kiss your master."

Without hesitation, but still keeping her eyes down, Lucy moved forward and pressed her lips to Cobra's. Cobra responded, pushing his tongue into her mouth in an assertion of his dominance, to which Lucy easily submitted.

 _"_ _Cobra-"_ Rancidus tried to push through to warn his host that now was no time to play with his Conquest with Acnologia likely on his way. But Cobra didn't want to hear it and instead, simply pulled up his shields to the bond. He knew his second soul would be able to dismantle them in a matter of minutes, but for the time being, he was going to enjoy playing with his pet

Cobra pulled back from Lucy's kiss. "You've pleased your master greatly.

Lucy beamed, keeping her eyes fixed on the ground. "Thank you, Sir."

"Stand up and follow me," Cobra directed her, and Lucy did as she was told, following him a few feet back to an outcropping of trees. "Stop," and Lucy immediately stood still. Cobra began to circle her, grazing his fingers along her body as he moved, as if assessing her very being. Lucy shivered at the touches, flinching slightly and Cobra snapped. "I didn't say you could move."

"I'm sorry, Sir," Lucy responded meekly.

Cobra returned to standing in front of her and lifted her chin with his fingers. "Look at me," he commanded. Lucy turned her eyes to meet his and there was a slight look of fear in them. It made Cobra instantly hard.

"What happens to bad girls?"

"They get punished," Lucy responded.

"That's right. Now, how shall I punish you?"

"However, it pleases you, Sir," Lucy responded instantly.

Cobra hummed his approval of her answer. "That's my good girl. Now, bend over and grab that tree." Lucy did as he commanded, and Cobra delighted in the look of her, ass in the air, waiting for his next move. "You moved when I said not to, and for that you must be punished."

"Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir," Lucy responded.

"Count it out, pet," Cobra directed before slapping his hand roughly on her backside. With each hit, Lucy counted until they reached the number ten. She was panting and her behind was red from the abuse. Cobra smirked internally, reveling in the Conquest bond at such a close distance. "Stand up," he ordered, and Lucy complied. "Turn around," and she did so.

He could tell from looking at her that the Conquest bond was having an effect of her too. Her lower lip was slightly swollen from where she was clearly biting it and she was panting heavily.

Just before Cobra was able to direct her to kiss him again, Rancidus pushed through his shields. " _So happy you're having fun getting your kicks in, but asshole, at such a close range, you're going to kill her if you don't give her an antidote quickly._ "

Cobra internally cursed. He hated producing antidotes. Doing so left him incredibly weakened as it taxed his magic heavily. He had been hoping to play with her a bit more before administering his healing but if Rancidus was this insistent, he didn't want to risk turning her into a vegetable or worse.

 _"_ _Fucking cockblock,"_ Cobra threw back at his second soul, who only snickered.

"Come here, pet," Cobra ordered. Cobra took a seat, leaning against a tree and motioned for her to do the same. Lucy complied, and Cobra spoke. "You've pleased me greatly, pet. For that, I'm going to reward you."

"Thank you, Sir," Lucy responded, keeping her gaze down.

"Come lay your body over my lap," Cobra instructed, and Lucy complied. Cobra had to bite back the desire to remove her skimpy bathing suit and attack her perfect chest. He breathed out slowly, letting his magic work to build an antidote in his system. Lucy waited patiently in her current position and Cobra smiled at how much of a natural she was in her submissive role. He distinctly felt her purr of satisfaction at his words through the bond.

Cobra was starting to sweat, feeling the draw on his magic energy and the accompanied weakening of his system. Creating an antidote necessarily meant having it in his system for a time being, which inevitably neutralized some of his own poison. So not only did this weaken him by drawing on his magical energy, it also robbed him of his very life blood in the process. Small amounts of antivenom, like those he needed to create for Minerva, weren't much of a draw. But, given the amount of time he'd been exerting influence on Lucy and the amount of toxin he could sense in her system now that he was close to her, he knew he needed a larger amount.

When his body was done creating an antivenom, he tipped his head forward. "Look at me, pet." Lucy did so, and Cobra spoke in a hushed but firm voice. "This will hurt, but you will not cry out. Do you understand?"

A look of fear came across Lucy's face and Cobra addressed it immediately. "I require an answer."

"Yes, Sir," she responded.

"That's my good girl," he said, tipping forward over her neck and plunging his fangs into her.

. . .

Vander had shortened the hike back significantly. Instead of a two-day, arduous hike through the forested mountains, the two were home within a matter of hours.

Initially, Vander seemed jumpy, constantly looking behind him, his pupils heavily dilated. When they landed back at the Estate, Laxus turned to him and put his hands on his shoulders. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, man. Just always nervous about pulling my magic signature back into the voids with me. I think I managed to keep most of it contained, and so far, nothing's been able to break through. So, I think we're good."

It worried Laxus to see the normally chipper youth looking so out of his element. But he had experienced the Voids three times now and he understood that there was a real reason to fear the beings that dwelled within them. Laxus didn't want to think about what it meant for a Void-dweller to "break through."

"Just take a rest. You can stay here if you want the company," Laxus said, motioning to the bed in his room. Vander nodded his thanks and sprawled himself out on the bed. Laxus busied himself with packing as quickly as possible. If Nurem's estimation was correct, it was very possible that Lucy may already be severely poisoned and that whoever this other slayer was, he may have figured out that he could tap into the girl's celestial magic.

Quickly throwing on a fresh black shirt, he threw a white coat on over top and a cape over his shoulders. He wasn't sure how long he would be out there and wanted to have as much clothing with him as possible while still traveling light. Running his fingers through his hair, he took stock of everything he had in his pack. Feeling satisfied, he turned back to Vander to say he was ready to go but could sense that the man needed a bit of extra time.

"Van," Laxus said.

"You ready, man?" Vander responded, trying to play off feeling exhausted.

"Give me a few minutes to meditate," Laxus responded, trying to save face for him.

Vander flopped back on the bed in appreciation. "Okay, just let me know when you're ready."

Laxus nodded and took a seated position on the other side of the room, facing the Grass Sea. Doing as Cristoff instructed him, he aligned one hand to his hearts center and the other palm up in his lap. Taking a deep inhale and exhale, he attempted to clear his mind and reach within him towards his second soul.

He had been practicing his meditation for some time now, and while Cristoff had thought it was possible that he would be able to hear his inner soul and become more in tune with its instincts, to date, Laxus hadn't experienced anything of the sort. But he was still hopeful.

So, he pushed his doubts about himself and his abilities aside and reached down within himself, calling out to his second soul and asking it for guidance.

" _Electrum,"_ Laxus projected, having finally learned the name of his internal dragon.

 _"_ _I am here, my son,"_ a voice Laxus had never heard before but felt strangely familiar called back to him. Laxus froze, realizing that he had broken through to his second soul. He tried not to freak out, so as to not lose the connection between them.

 _"_ _I need your guidance,"_ Laxus opted to project.

" _I am with you,"_ Electrum responded. " _I have been with you and I understand your pain and frustration. Much of that is my fault. My own failings, as Nurem informed you, I have been carried forward into you. But I do believe there was a reason for our joining. And I will assist you in any way I can."_

_"_ _The girl, Lucy. I have failed her."_

_"_ _You have. And you must accept that. But all hope is not lost. I am proud of you, my son, that you are attempting to right your wrongs. It is admirable and sadly, something that I could not do until it was too late in my time."_

_"_ _How do I help her?"_

_"_ _Nurem speaks the truth. The only way to break a Conquest is through the initiation of a Mating formed in trust and acceptance."_

Laxus sighed, feeling utterly hopeless. " _What reason does she have to trust me, after all I have done to her."_

_"_ _You are risking much to go to her. Tenrou Island is sacred ground. And you are no longer a member. Stepping foot on the island could risk the wrath of its first master. It is possible you will not survive this."_

_"_ _That doesn't change my mind,"_ Laxus responded with conviction.

_"_ _I am glad, as it should not. Show her your true self. You wear so many masks, my son. This is your chance to step away from all that. Make her see you for who you really are."_

_"_ _What if I fail?"_

_"_ _Failure is not an option, my son. Such a question should never be asked."_ Laxus nodded his head in understanding. _"Now, your friend is calling to you. You must go."_

_"_ _How can I reach you in the future?"_

_"_ _You simply need to call out to me by name. I reside within you and will do what I can to guide you from my place."_

Laxus projected his thanks through the bond and broke his concentration. He startled as Vander came around to shake him. "You ready to go? I've been calling your name for the past ten minutes and you just sat there. I get meditating but jeez."

Laxus chuckled, feeling much more at ease and at peace with himself. He looked at Vander and breathed a sigh of relief to see the man was back to his chipper self. Clearly, whatever danger and exhaustion had passed quickly. "I'm ready," Laxus said, standing to his impressive height.

And for the first time in a long time, he fully meant what he said.

. . .

It took a few long jumps to finally make it to Tenrou Island. Laxus was initially concerned about whether Vander would be able to find it but when he expressed that worry, the man just laughed. "Me, not be able to find something? That's hilarious."

And the man was right. He had brought Laxus right to the edge of the Island with precision. The two stood in knee deep surf. Laxus had filled Vander in on Electrum's warning regarding being able to step on the island. Vander told Laxus he would wait in the surf and if something went wrong, he would try and get him out of there.

Laxus walked forward with measured steps. As he took his last step onto the clean sand, he cringed but felt nothing. He breathed a sigh of relief and waved back to Vander, shouting that he was okay. Vander gave him a thumbs up and teleported away. The two had agreed that Vander would return in one days' time to check on the pair, just in case Lucy needed to get immediate medical care.

This was the first time Laxus had ever been on the island and he wasn't sure where to start. Without the benefit of the mating bond, even half formed, he couldn't sense Lucy. Taking a deep breath, he focused his mind and felt somewhere within him a reminder to use his senses and utilize his advanced hearing.

He did so, reaching out to try and hear the sounds of the island. What he didn't expect to hear was a heavy amount of fighting spanning across the entire landmass. He distinctly heard Erza battling someone whose voice he did not recognize. Along with the very distinct cries of Natsu against another unknown assailant. He tried to calm himself, reasoning that it must have been part of the S class trials, but internally he knew that wasn't right.

As clear as day, he heard the whimper of Lucy just after the words, "That's my good girl," were spoken. Luckily, the pair was close and Laxus took off running down the beach. Rounding the bend, he saw her. She was just as gorgeous as he remembered. Blonde hair the color of gold and sun kissed skin contrasting her white bikini. But what Laxus also saw had his blood boiling. Lucy was draped across the lap of a maroon-haired man, who was currently sinking his fangs deep into her neck.


	33. Reunion

**. . .**

_As clear as day, Laxus heard the whimper of Lucy just after the words, "That's my good girl," were spoken. Luckily, the pair was close and Laxus took off running down the beach. Rounding the bend, he saw her. She was just as gorgeous as he remembered. Blonde hair the color of gold and sunkissed skin contrasting her white bikini. But what Laxus also saw had his blood boiling. Lucy was draped across the lap of a maroon-haired man, who was currently sinking his fangs deep into her neck._

**. . .**

Laxus saw red. He didn't need his second soul to tell him what to do. He immediately dropped everything he was carrying and gathered his power into his hands. Lightning reigned down around him, startling the man currently assaulting Lucy. But he didn't release her and Laxus continued to rage.

 _"_ _Shit,"_ Cobra thought to himself. He was almost done administering the antidote to his Claimed but this guy looked like he wanted a fight. He kept his fangs sunk into her as long as possible before finally withdrawing. It was clear the man was after the woman and Cobra knew that using her as a shield would be the best possible way for him to get out of this alive.

 _"_ _Oh, you're totally fucked,"_ Rancidus said flatly. _"My bad."_

 _"_ _What do you mean, 'your bad,'"_ Cobra projected with a sneer as he tried to think of an exit strategy that didn't involve giving up his Claimed a second time.

_"_ _She wasn't close to dying. I just said that cause you pissed me off when you put your shields up. I wanted to make sure you didnt't get your rocks off as punishment. And now you're all exhausted."_

_"_ _I would love to insult you, but I'm afraid I won't do as well as nature did."_

_"_ _Damn, I'm gonna miss you when this guy kills you."_

Cobra huffed, not wanting to waste the mental energy to spar with his internal soul. "Precious, can you hear me? Lucy!" No response. _"Fuck, she's out cold as her body processes the antidote."_

_"_ _Well, like I said, it was nice knowing you. No way in hell you're gonna beat this guy. He's packing some serious heat."_

_"_ _He got a gun or something?"_ That was an odd thing for his inner soul to say.

_"_ _A gun we could handle. This guy's a second gen, like you. And from what I'm hearing through your magic, his second soul is Electrum. Scary mofo back when he was alive. Went through some serious shit. Cant't you feel his magical energy? Oh wait, you're as bright as a black hole and twice as dense."_

_"_ _Do you realize that people just tolerate you?"_ Cobra projected as he called to Cubelios.

_"_ _That's it. Get your last ones in before you die. I'll be sure to tell everyone the truth at your funeral."_

Laxus approached the man carefully. He still had Lucy draped across his lap and he had a feeling he didn't care much for her safety. Laxus watched intently as a large purple snake slithered out of the forest to wrap itself around Lucy's limp body.

"Like hell you do," Laxus shouted, giving up on playing it careful and rushing the man and his snake. Cobra immediately let Cubelios wrap herself around him and the snake took off in the forest. Cobra knew that carrying both of them, there was no way they would be able to outrun this man on full speed. But he also knew that when Cubelios disappeared, it was usually because she was scouting an area.

 _"_ _Either that or she has to pee,"_ Rancidus chimed in, thinking the whole thing was a joke.

Laxus cursed as he watched them disappear in the tree line. He knew he might easily lose them in the dense forest if he wasn't careful.

_Sharpen your senses._

He heard the direction from deep within him and he took a second to focus his energy, concentrating on Lucy's scent and the sounds the snake made as she moved through the forest. "Got you," Laxus said aloud as he began to weave his way through the trees. Within minutes, he had caught up to them and was able to tackle the snake to the ground.

He winced as the creature released Lucy, opting to hold onto the maroon-haired man instead. There was no helping it, Lucy's barely conscious body went rolling away down the small incline. Laxus turned his attention back to the assailant. He knew it was likely better that Lucy was out of reach anyways.

_Can you sense it? Reach out with your dragon slaying magic._

Laxus did so and stiffened as a green string appeared in his vision. It was so real to him, he thought for sure he would be able to reach out and touch it but he knew what he was sensing was the Conquest bond this man had formed with Lucy.

"So you're the Slayer that attacked Lucy," Laxus said, rolling his shoulders and drawing his magic energy around him.

Cobra could barely stand he was so drained. Cubelios did her best to place him on the ground, propping him up so that he didn't collapse. "Attacked? I rocked her world!" Cobra was stalling. He needed time to regain his magical energy. Either that or a good deal of poison. Cubelios could give him some of her venom, but he didn't want to exhaust her if they needed to make a quick exit when Acnologia appeared.

Laxus fumed at his answer. "If you so much as hurt a hair on her head I swear-"

"Oh good, only her head, because I was pulling the short ones earlier." Cobra knew this was bad. He was having trouble even getting his words out without sounding short of breath.

Laxus didn't respond this time. He knew these types of assholes, they were all too familiar. Laxus let his lightning crackle on his arms, but as he moved to release it, something the man said had him pausing.

"You may not want to do that." Laxus lifted an eyebrow, not stopping the lightning that was building around him. "If you hit me, I'll just divert that static your so fond of to my pet. Maybe I'll even make her scream my name when it happens. That'd be fun to watch, right?"

 _"_ _You're bluffing, you can't do that,"_ Rancidus chided through their bond.

 _"_ _I have neither the time nor the crayons to explain this to you,"_ Cobra projected.

Laxus hesitated. He didn't know if that was true or not, and he didn't want to hurt Lucy when she already was likely in pain from the Conquest bond and the tumble she took in the woods.

_He's bluffing. Use your senses. His heartbeat, his body language. It's clear he's lying. End him. Protect your Mate. Make this right._

Laxus listened to his inner soul, trusting the creature within him not to hurt Lucy. He allowed his lightning to lash out as a test, slicing the man on the arm. Blood began to form on his jacket from severe burns and the man cried out in pain. That was enough confirmation for Laxus and he began to reign lightning down around them, letting his anger fill him and control his magic.

_STOP! Never let the lightning control you._

The chidings of Electrum had him startled and in that moment, his lightning stopped and Cobra moved in. He allowed Cubelios to carry him forward and he reached out with extended talons, dripping in what little venom he had left. Laxus narrowly dodged him and the two reset back to a safe distance.

"What's wrong champ? Spark go limp?" Cobra jeered, letting Cubelios continue to move him away from the man slowly.

 _"_ _Is this when you tell me that we're leaving the hot blonde behind again?"_ Rancidus goaded.

 _"_ _You got a better idea?"_ Cobra sneered through the bond. _"I'm not happy about it either but it's either that or find yourself a new host."_

_"_ _Is that an option?"_

_"_ _Your mother should have swallowed you,"_ Cobra retorted, allowing Cubelios to back him away from the man.

Laxus could see what he was doing. He was trying to delay so he could either take time to recover or make his escape. He hated this man for everything he had done to Lucy, the extent of it he wasn't even sure about yet. But whereas he normally would have pursued this man to the fullest and beaten him into the ground out of anger and rage, he knew Lucy was hurting and he needed to find her.

Laxus let the man fall back into his snake and run from the fight. Right now, the most important thing to him was finding Lucy and making sure she was okay. As soon as the man disappeared, Laxus turned on his heel and followed Lucy's scent down the gentle incline. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found her a short distance away.

Dried blood was dripping from her neck and she was mostly unconscious. Laxus leaned in, gathering her gently in her arms. He reached out with his dragon magic, like Electrum had instructed him and saw the green string clearly connecting her to this other slayer. Steeling his resolve, he knew what he needed to do.

Lucy had rolled away from the forest and towards the beach. Carrying her gently in his arms, Laxus walked her the few steps out of the tree line and onto the soft warm sand, where he laid her down. Shaking her shoulders gently, he eased her into consciousness. "Lucy," he called her name lightly over and over again.

Blinking her eyes open, she felt confused and disoriented and her body felt like it had gone through hell. She looked straight up into a pair of stormy eyes. She knew they meant something fierce to her heart, but at the moment, she couldn't place it.

"Lucy, it's me. It's Laxus."

"Laxus?" she blinked her eyes wide again, trying to make sense of things as the world came rushing back to her. "What are you doing here?"

Laxus didn't have time to explain. He was worried that any minute, the other Slayer would use the Conquest bond once he felt Lucy regain consciousness and he couldn't risk losing her again.

"Lucy, do you trust me?"

His words took her by such surprise. _"Why would he be asking me this now? This is so out of the blue. How did he even get here?"_

"Laxus, I-?"

"Please, Lucy. I need to know. Do you trust me?"

Lucy held his gaze. Looking back into his eyes she saw a changed man-one who was far different than the one that went crazed only a few months back. Him leaving had hurt her on such a deep level but she knew she played a role in it. She never blamed him for leaving like others did. She knew he had to so that he could become stronger. So that he could become a better man.

And as she looked deep into his eyes, that's what she saw. A better man. There was strength where there used to be insecurity; conviction where there used to be apathy; and-she blinked again, shying away slightly from the last emotion she saw in his eyes.

She knew her answer. It had never changed. Even when he was an insufferable asshole, she still trusted him. For her, that was never at issue. "Yes, Laxus. I trust you."

"If you truly mean it, then please, do you accept me? I need you to say it and truly mean it."

At this, Lucy's eyes went wide. This was all so much and it was difficult to process in her hazy state. Suddenly, she felt a pull at her consciousness, something trying to place an answer in her mind that she had not formed. Laxus watched as her eyes began to take a distant look and he shook her gently to bring her back. "Stay with me, Lucy, please. Do you accept me?"

Lucy fought back against the pull with all her might. The words she knew were true tumbled from her lips, "I accept you, Laxus," and before she finished speaking them, he plunged his fangs into her neck.

. . .

Cobra was on the other side of the island by this time. He could sense that Lucy was starting to regain solid consciousness and he pulled at her in a desperate attempt to bring her back to him.

_"_ _It's a lost cause, dicklicker. You lost her, again."_

_"_ _I've been called worse things by better people. And I'd be a fool not to try before that asshat breaks the Conquest."_ Cobra didn't know for sure, but if this slayer had a second soul, it was likely that he knew what a Conquest was and how to break it. _"Motherfucker,"_ he cursed to himself. He had trusted Rancidus when he said he was likely the only one that knew about Conquests and Matings for second-gens.

_"_ _That was your first mistake."_

_"_ _You're as useful as Anne Frank's drum set, you know that?"_

_"_ _Who the hell is Anne Frank?"_

Cobra rolled his eyes, trying to concentrate on pulling Lucy back to him so they could leave the island together. Suddenly, a pain shot into his chest which knocked him clean off Cubelios. He tumbled to the forest floor as his partner chased after him, trying to ease his fall to the ground.

"What the fuck?" he cursed aloud. He could barely breathe and his pulse had skyrocketed.

 _"_ _Well, that'll be the end of that. It was good while it lasted, I guess,"_ Rancidus said with apathy. _"Good to know it didn't kill you. Bit of a shame though."_

 _"_ _End of what? What are you wasting breath on now?"_ Cobra seethed. This is not how he envisioned this trip.

_"_ _You're kinda like Rapunzel. But instead of letting your hair down, you let everyone in your life down."_

_"_ _You have more dick in your personality than you do in your pants, you know that?"_ Cobra redirected his efforts back to pulling Lucy to him and froze. He reached for her but she wasn't there. The Conquest bond he had become so fond of had completely disappeared. His precious Lucy was gone. "What the FUCK!" Cobra screamed in anger.

Rancidus snickered. _"You're living proof that Darwin was right."_

 _"_ _Cubelios!"_ Cobra bellowed through their bond, intent on instructing her to go after Lucy.

But Rancidus chimed back in. _"I wouldn't. In your condition and with Acnologia likely to make his initial appearance any moment, we need to get the fuck out of here. Unless you're okay with dying and handing me off to someone new."_

Cobra cursed, knowing that Rancidus was right. There was no way that he would be able to take that slayer in a fight given his current condition and with each passing hour, the chances of Ancologia showing up increased.

Cobra clung to Cubelios as she returned them to the merchant ship that was waiting several miles off the coast. _"It's better this way. Now you won't be able to contaminate the gene pool with your seed,"_ Rancidus said in a soothing voice.

 _"_ _For once in your life, do the trees a favor and stop consuming their oxygen."_ Cobra was really not in the mood for any of this. The little time he'd had to spend with Lucy as his Claimed only showed him how much more he wanted her to himself full time.

But every minute longer they stayed on that Island he knew they were risking Acnologia's arrival and as much as Cobra wanted to play with Lucy, he wanted to be alive more.

_"_ _Much to the chagrin of his second soul."_

_"_ _Would you just shut the fuck up, already?"_


	34. Battles

. . .

" _For once in your life, do the trees a favor and stop consuming their oxygen."_ Cobra was really not in the mood for any of this. The little time he'd had to spend with Lucy as his Claimed only showed him how much more he wanted her to himself full time.

But every minute longer they stayed on that Island he knew was risking Acnologia's arrival and as much as Cobra wanted to play with Lucy, he wanted to be alive more.

" _Much to the chagrin of his second soul."_

" _Would you just shut the fuck up, already?"_

_. . ._

The moment his fangs sunk into her neck, the entirety of the past month flashed before her eyes. Things she hadn't remembered doing, fights she hadn't remembered starting, came flooding back into her memory and she felt tears well in her eyes.

But as soon as those emotions hit her, another wave of lust came crashing into her mind. Suddenly being wrenched back to the present, she realized that she was draped across Laxus' lap and he currently had his fangs in her neck as his tongue drew circles across her skin.

She shivered involuntarily as she felt a connection with the lightning mage begin to form. Trying to push the overwhelming need to ride him aside, she began to feel emotions that could only have been coming from the large blond. Intense worry for her safety, regret at not having gotten to the island sooner, fear at whether she would recover, and overtop everything, an incredible sense of need and heat for her body.

When Laxus finally withdrew his fangs, Lucy gasped. Laxus watched in awe as both sets of fang marks closed on her neck, the purple ones disappearing completely and the ones he just placed maintaining their presence with a faint yellow glow.

Laxus choked back the impulse to make love to the woman in his arms, but there was no hiding the raging erection he was sporting beneath her. But Lucy didn't have as much self-control, or rather, she didn't truly desire to control herself. She had been heartbroken when Laxus left after his expulsion. She knew it was the right thing for him to do, but it still stung.

With the loss of her freewill to whoever that man was, she had never been able to truly process her feelings towards the lightning mage. But now, with him here, having clearly changed for the better and being able to feel everything he was feeling for her somehow, not to mention his hard-on under her body, she just didn't want to hold herself back.

"Laxus!" she exclaimed, as she sat up in his arms and tried to kiss him.

He stopped her, "Lucy, are you okay?"

"Yes!" she responded instantly. "I finally feel like myself again." She tried to move back in to kiss him but he stopped her again.

"Are you not in pain? Do you not understand what has happened to you?"

Lucy shook her head. She didn't truly understand what had happened, but she saw enough glimpses to understand that something had been controlling her the past month and that now she was finally free of that. "All I know is that I'm finally me again. And that it's all thanks to you."

Laxus sighed in relief. He had been so worried that she wouldn't return to her normal self or that the poison would somehow cause her to be unresponsive and he'd be too late. A great weight had been lifted off his chest at her words. He knew he'd need to explain to her everything that had happened, the implications of their new Mating bond and how he was going to make sure that this time, nothing happened to her, but for now, he just wrapped his arms around her and breathed in her beautiful scent.

She let him hold her for a few minutes, somehow intuitively understanding that this was something he needed to do. When he finally lifted his head, she looked into his stormy gray eyes and the pair both moved to press their lips to one another.

The feeling of his soft lips moving against hers made everything feel right in the world. She hadn't realized how much she missed the feeling of his thick arms wrapped around her. Sitting in his lap, she allowed her hands to trail down the large expanse of his chest and she groaned into his mouth.

Laxus used the opportunity to push the kiss deeper. Pushing his tongue into her mouth, she tangled her own with his, letting him taste the flavor of her that he truly missed. A deep feeling of contentment rose up in Laxus' chest, almost to the point where he was guilty of purring. Moving to wrap her body with one strong arm, he tentatively allowed the other to move across her body, feeling the curves he so desperately missed.

Lucy's fingers on his chest, tracing his well defined muscles, had him harder than ever and when she adjusted herself so that her ass was rubbing up against his erection, he nearly lost himself. Both of them pulled back, panting at the lack of oxygen.

"Lucy," he whispered, placing his forehead against her own. She closed her eyes briefly and Laxus revelled in the feeling of being able to hold her like this. Reaching out tentatively with his dragon senses, what he saw between them had him ecstatic. Where there used to be a sickly green line, embedded like an anchor into Lucy's heart, there now was a line the color of Laxus' eyes, that was sparking with hints of lightning. But what had Laxus truly in awe was there, at the spot where his line attached to her, was a small golden thread, weaving its way back towards him. It was faint and he had to really reach out to see it, but there was no mistaking it, it was there, and it originated in her heart.

He couldn't stop himself from moving back in to kiss her. He pulled her body to his and smashed his lips against hers. She moaned at the feeling and Laxus indulged himself by palming her breast overtop her bathing suit. He delighted when she responded with groans of appreciation, only serving to spur him on further.

Leaving her lips, he began to trail heated kisses down her jaw line, before finally reaching her neck. He tongued the newly formed mating mark tentatively and purred when she didn't exhibit any pain. He moved further to the nape of her neck where he began to suck the skin there, tasting her for all she was worth.

Lucy shivered at the contact, letting her head fall back to give Laxus a larger canvas. His hand hadn't stopped moving overtop her bathing suit but she needed more from him. Reaching up, she moved to untie the string to her bathing suit. A very real part of Laxus wanted to let her, but he stopped her by bringing his hands up around her neck. She looked back at him with uncertain eyes and he sighed.

As much as he wanted to continue, he didn't feel like it was right until Lucy knew the full truth about the Conquest and about the part he played in it; he at least owed her that much. "Is there something wrong?" she asked with uncertainty.

"God no," he breathed, pulling her closer to him. "I want you so bad, Lucy," he said with truth.

"But then-"

"But you deserve to know everything that has happened in the past month before we continue. So as much as I would love for us to continue, I want to be fair to you."

"Okay," she responded. She hesitated, "so does that mean we have to stop completely?" It was clear to her that Laxus wanted her, the physical evidence was hard to ignore.

Laxus didn't bother to respond with words. Instead he moved back to smashing his lips against hers and the two began their dance once again. Leaning back into the soft sand, he pulled her down with him gently and let her straddle his body. Her hips ground into his erection and his brain was all but short circuiting.

He'd be lying if he said he was at full power. The Voids had certainly taken their toll on him. That coupled with his fight with the other slayer was putting him close to exhaustion. And if that wasn't enough, he was inexperienced with using his dragon senses on such a regular basis. All three things made it hard for him to even sit up straight.

As if Fate were laughing at him, an airship flew overhead with a tremendous noise. The blondes instantly startled and Laxus reached out once again with his dragon hearing. "Natsu! You can't beat this guy! We need to fall back! He's too strong," he heard Gray's voice call out.

"Shit!" Laxus cursed under his breath, sitting back up.

"What is it?" Lucy instantly responded in concern.

He turned to fix her with his piercing gaze. "Do you know what's going on here? All the battles I heard when I got onto the island. Is this part of the trials?"

Lucy shook her head and opened her eyes wide. She had been so caught up with getting her sense of herself back and seeing Laxus that she had completely forgotten everything that had happened over the past day. "Oh god, how could I-" she started to tear up and was momentarily unable to form words.

Laxus made soothing circles on her back. "It's okay Lucy. No one blames you for what happened, and it wasn't your fault. Just tell me what's going on."

She kept her head tucked into his shoulder, crying silently. "A dark guild came to the island during the trials. I got separated from the others. It was like I was watching everything outside my own body but it's all rushing back to me. I hope everyone's okay."

Laxus furrowed his brow. He pulled the girl in close, vowing he would protect her from whatever this new danger was. He'd be damned if he let her down twice. "Come on," he said gently, encouraging her to stand. She followed him as they walked briskly back to the beach where he had dropped his bag.

Reaching in, he pulled out his Lphone and dialed his number one contact. "Freed. I'm on Tenrou and I need you to give me a status report, fast."

. . .

Freed's eyes went wide the moment he saw the number show up on his phone. "Laxus?" he asked incredulously.

"I'll explain later. Do you have any information?" the voice he hadn't heard in over a month replied back.

"Yes. The Guild is under attack by a dark guild known as Grimoire Heart. Bickslow and I just defeated a rather pesky member called Rustyrose. Erza has just taken out a mage named Azuma but she is quite exhausted. My understanding is that Lucy previously defeated another member but I am uncertain as to her whereabouts," Freed relayed succinctly.

"Don't worry about Lucy, she's with me and she's okay. From the sound of it, Gray and Natsu are on an airship fighting what may be their leader. Here's what I need from you." Laxus fell back into his role as group leader with ease.

Bickslow was to report to the beach where Laxus and Lucy were and they would try and make contact with the airship. Meanwhile, Freed was going to attempt to round everyone up at basecamp so they might address the threat together and take care of their wounded. Even Freed had to admit the plan was tactically sound.

Within minutes, Bickslow arrived, floating on his totems and calling out to Laxus. Even amidst the terrible trouble the Guild was facing, you could always count on the man to be chipper. "Hey Bossman, long time no see." His eyes flashed green briefly as he looked at Lucy and a smile broke out across his face. "Cosplayer, fucking good to see you like this."

Lucy smiled sheepishly, having a feeling she would be filled in more later about what Bickslow really meant. "Bix, do you think you can get me up there?" Laxus asked, pointing to the airship sailing slowly past.

"No problem, Boss," was his confident response.

Laxus hesitated. He was so nervous to leave Lucy again for even a short amount of time, but he didn't want to risk her safety where he was going. "Lucy, I want you to go back to the base camp with Bix."

"No," she instantly responded.

Laxus winced at her answer. He'd seen her with her team when she got like this; there was likely no winning. "Lucy, please."

"No, Laxus. Those are my teammates up there and I can help. I'm not as weak as I look. Please, let me help. Don't take that away from me."

Laxus looked into her eyes and assessed her strength. He reached out slightly through their newly formed bond and let out a breath when he realized that she was rapidly healing and gaining strength. "Okay, but I need you to stay close to me. If something happened to you again, I-"

She cut him off before he had the chance to say more, letting her fingers reach up to trail against his chin. "I get it. You don't have to say it. We'll talk it all through later."

Laxus nodded and looked at his friend. "Can you get us both up there?"

"Sure thing man. Should I stay and fight?"

Laxus shook his head. "No. I want you returning to help Freed. Chances are, there are other battles being waged all over the island. We need to gather our numbers. Our strength comes from each other and they're trying to tear us apart. We can't let that happen."

Bickslow smiled and nodded. "Glad to have you back, Laxus," he said with a clap to the man's shoulder. Laxus returned his knowing gaze before him and Lucy were sailing into the sky towards the airship.

. . .

It was no use. Lucy had given the last of her strength summoning her spirits and she was nearly unconscious in the corner of the airship. Laxus had landed several good hits on the leader but, damn, this man was powerful. Laxus grimaced. If only he hadn't wasted all that power fighting the other Slayer or lost a good deal of his reserves traveling through the Voids, this fight would have been over in minutes.

He looked back across the mostly dismantled airship now. How they were still flying, he didn't fully understand. Natsu was the only one that appeared to have any energy left.

"Fuck," Laxus cursed under his breath as he called out to the man. "Natsu! It's up to you now! You've gotta take him down!" Natsu stood to his full height and pounded his fist into his hand. "You ready?" Laxus signaled to him and Natsu intuitively understood him. As if by instinct, Laxus shot the remainder of his power out to Natsu. The entire ship watched in awe as lightning and fire merged around the slayer's body.

With the last of Laxus' strength, he moved to Lucy, pulling her into his arms and closed his eyes. There was nothing more he could do but put his trust and faith in Natsu to deliver the final blow.

. . .

"Laxus! Laxus! Wake up!" He blinked his eyes and found himself back at the impromptu base camp. Freed was shaking his shoulders while a little blue-haired girl he didn't recognize was pressing bandages into some of his larger injuries.

He sat up, trying to shake his head clear and look around. "Where's Lucy!" he almost yelled in panic.

"She's fine!" the little girl responded, trying to push him back down. "She's just resting, like you should be."

Laxus looked at Freed and the Rune Mage understood. "Everyone's here-and alive. It was a hell of a battle but we all managed to make it out alive."

Laxus nodded his head in understanding. He looked out across the camp and spotted his Grandfather talking with Erza. She looked like she was in rough shape too. He avoided making eye contact. He didn't have time to deal with the questions now, he needed to get back to Lucy. There was something within him, stronger than the last time they had begun the Mating, that was driving him towards her and he was helpless to ignore it.

As he tried to stand, his legs gave out and he found himself back on the ground. So he dragged himself over to where she was laying as fast as he could. Her breathing was even and he looked back at the little healer in question. "Is she okay? Is anything broken?"

Her blue locks shook from side to side. "Nothing broken. She's just resting from magic depletion." She walked over to Laxus' side and his eyes widened as her hands began to faintly glow. "This is incredible, she was almost completely depleted a few minutes ago, but she's much improved now."

Laxus didn't need to hear anymore. He gathered Lucy in his arms and she blinked awake at the movement. "Laxus?" When she had woken up, she somewhat thought everything that had happened to her had been some incredible dream. It all seemed too good to be true. "Is that really you? It wasn't a dream?"

Wendy backed off from the couple, opting to check on the others that needed help.

"I thought it was all a dream," she breathed and hugged him closer to her body. Laxus reveled in the warmth of her body against his and silently thanked his inner soul for bringing him to this place. For years he had resented what the Lacrima had done to him, expelling his father from the Guild and breaking apart his family. But if it meant that he got to have Lucy, even for just a short time before the Mating faded, he was grateful.

"It wasn't. I honestly wish the whole thing was though. Lucy, I'm so sorry," he nearly sobbed into her shoulder, suddenly losing his composure.

"Laxus, it's fine-" she began to say but he only hugged her tighter.

"It's not though. You only say that because you don't understand. When you do, you'll leave me. And you'd have every right to. But you've got to know I'll make it up to you-somehow," he said, the tears streaming down his eyes.

Lucy pushed against his chest lightly and he allowed her to move him back. She tilted his chin up so she could look at him. "Laxus, I don't fully understand everything that happened to me, and I promise, we'll talk about it. But what I _do_ know, is that, whatever happened before, you came back for me, and that makes up for a hell of a lot in my mind."

Laxus looked back into her wide brown eyes. "How can you be so forgiving? You don't even understand everything yet, but you're already ready to forgive me."

Lucy turned to look out at the trees. "It's just how I've always been. I can't hold a grudge. There's too much living to do in this world to be carrying around extra baggage." She turned back to look at him and smiled.

Before he could respond, the sky quickly darkened and an eerie cry sounded across the camp. Everyone stood still, frozen in place, as a magnificent black dragon flew overhead.

 


	35. Family

. . .

The first time Nurem fled Acnologia wrath, her and Draco were apart for a decade. It was too risky for her to use her magic, lest her magic signature create a path directly to her.

Very slowly, Draco was able to construct a magical dampening field with his own magic where Nurem could hide. It had taken a full decade to create and while it was being created, she had to stay well hidden, lest give their intentions away. However, once Draco was finished, and she had safely entered this oasis, she was free to use her magic and she and Draco were once again reunited.

It was actually a little known fact that she was Mated to the celestial being. It had only happened in this last century, well within Acnologia's lifetime. It was what allowed Nurem to stay in this world in the first place. Acnologia could only read dragon magical signatures. Given that Draco was a celestial spirit, the rogue slayer couldn't track him or his work.

"What's on your mind, my love?" Draco said in his smooth voice, taking a seat beside her in the gazebo. He had built it for her when she had finally mastered the transformation magic he bestowed upon her. The little structure had quickly become her favorite place.

Nurem sighed and moved closer to her Mate. "I can't help but think about that young man."

"Laxus?" Draco clarified.

Nurem nodded her head, her dark hair shifting colors with the movement. "If the Druid was correct, then he has a tremendous task ahead of him. And he will need a strong Mate to support him in it."

Draco stayed silent, contemplating everything that was said. "Are you certain that we have already seen part of it come true and we are not just twisting it to our current situation?"

Nurem shook her head once again. "As much as I would like to believe that, there is little room for doubt." Holding up her finger, she gracefully began to write words in the air. They shimmered with each stroke of her cursive script.

_Amidst moving mountains_

_And flaming rivers_

_Kindness shall ignite_

"That could only be when Electrum rescued that little boy," she sighed, waving her hand and the words dissolved into the moonlight. "That small act of kindness has certainly sparked problems."

Draco sighed, "I suppose." Nurem held up her finger to begin writing the next part.

_When the guilty is reborn,_

_And betrayal is felt,_

_Fear shall spread._

"Electrum's soul is clearly within that man. I could feel it," she said, waving her hand once again.

Draco leaned forward in thought. "Yes, but what betrayal and what fear?"

Nurem looked out in thought of her oasis. "Those are likely better questions directed at Acnologia. I have felt his stirrings stronger than ever before. Whether the inklings of fear I have sensed grow is yet to be seen."

"So what makes you think that this man has a role to play?"

Nurem began her script again.

_When time is split,_

_The weeping of stone_

_Shall bring new hope._

Draco furrowed his brow. "I'll give you that the man's heart was clearly broken when he came to see you, but I don't know we can assume that the Druid ultimately spoke about him.

Nurem simply raised her eyebrow and wrote out the remainder of the verse.

_When heaven opens,_

_A combined power_

_will the chaos end._

"She's a celestial mage, my love. And he's a dragon slayer, with Electrum's soul. And the two have a bond."

This time Draco reached his hand forward to dispel the script. He drew his Mate into his arms and kissed her deeply. "You worry too much, my love," he said, pulling back from her embrace.

"I know," she sighed, accepting his wisdom. The two stayed silent, enjoying the comfort of one another before Draco spoke.

"Would it make you feel better to see his progress?"

Nurem's eyes lit up as she nodded her head. Draco chuckled as he pulled her into the sky with him.

. . .

Dark wings instantly cast a shadow on the entire camp and everyone froze as a mighty roar rang out. Laxus pulled Lucy further into his arms and turned to look towards the beast.

"A dragon," he breathed out. Closing his eyes, he reached down inside himself and called out to his inner soul. " _Electrum, I seek your guidance."_

_I am here._

" _We are facing a new threat."_

_I know. I can sense his presence. I am sorry this burden has befallen you, but Acnologia has come to this place._

" _Acnologia?"_

_He is extremely dangerous and a threat to you all._

" _What should I do?" Laxus asked. He was still somewhat weak from his earlier battles and although his magic reserves were filing quicker than normal, he was still not at full capacity._

_It is very unlikely you could defeat him in your present state._

" _But my Guildmates. There must be something I can do!" Laxus nearly screamed at his internal soul, who had seemed to accept defeat before even putting up a fight._

_I cannot explain it to you all now. There is no time. Just know that the odds are not in your favor. But I will guide you as best I can._

Laxus nodded his understanding and looked out across the camp. No one was in any state to fight. Even Guildarts had been knocked out cold from his own battle.

He felt a tug against his arm and looked down. Lucy had tears streaming down her eyes. "Don't go. Not again. I can't lose you again," she said, seeming to understand what the big blond was thinking.

"Lucy, I vowed to protect you. I need to do this," he explained, crouching beside her. She was so beautiful. He didn't know why someone as kind and gorgeous as her would care about him at all.

"But you'll die," she nearly sobbed.

Laxus sighed. The howl of the creature rang out again over the camp and he grimaced. "I vowed to protect you, and I'm going to do just that." He lifted her chin and looked into her chocolate brown eyes. Moving forward, he captured her lips with his own and tried to ignore the taste of her salty tears. Pulling back he smiled and stood to his full height. " _This will be the last time she cries because of me,"_ he vowed.

"Laxus!" he heard the old man's voice behind him and he turned to see his Grandfather hobbling over to him, his own injuries very severe.

"You can't stop me, Gramps. This is something I need to do. Besides, I'm the only one here in any shape to fight," Laxus said, setting his jaw.

His Grandfather sized him up and sighed, seeing the conviction in his eyes. "When I banished you, I never wanted it to be the end." He paused, "Don't let this be the end. Fight your way through this and back into the Guild."

Laxus nodded his head in understanding and turned on his heel to meet his next challenge.

. . .

It didn't take long for Laxus to find the creature; it was massive and after running through the trees for a few minutes, the two made contact. The black beast made an initial roar at the blond, which he barely avoided. Looking behind him, he had to kick himself from trembling, as an entire row of trees had been turned into dust.

_You must focus, my son._

" _How can I possibly defeat him. His power!"_ Laxus exclaimed back, narrowly dodging another attack.

_You will not be able to defeat him in his current form. We must lure him out so he reveals his true self._

" _Huh?"_ Laxus projected, rolling to his side to hide behind a tree. Laxus began to charge up his electricity to throw an attack but Electrum stopped him.

_We need to hit him with it when it most surprises him._

" _Okay,"_ Laxus responded, unsure of Electrum's strategy but trusting him nonetheless.

Unbeknownst to Laxus, Lucy had snuck out of the camp and followed him from a safe distance. Watching from the sidelines, she had her finger on Leo's key, ready to pull him out to fight if it looked like Laxus was in trouble, but her power was extremely low and she needed to save it for the worst case scenario. So far, the blond had managed to avoid all of the beast's attacks, but there was only so long he could go on doing that. And when that happened, she would save him, for a change.

Acnologia came barrelling through the trees again, roaring at random, trying to kill the man he saw trying to challenge him. Laxus continued to dodge his attacks and hide behind trees and boulders until finally, Electrum gave him direction.

_When next he attacks, I want you to draw his power into you._

" _Are you crazy?"_

_Trust me, this will work. Your magic is compatible. I will explain it all later. Careful now, he's charging up, reach out and sense it._

Laxus followed his inner soul's instruction and could feel static in the air beginning to make its way towards the dragon. The blond smiled faintly, recognizing the similar magic signature to his own and knowing that Electrum's plan might work.

Lucy watched in horror as Laxus rolled out from behind the boulder he'd been using for shelter to stand directly in the path of Acnologia's roar. She screamed, calling forth Leo, who appeared beside her and immediately clasped his hand over her mouth. "Shh, Princess. Look!" Lucy's eyes widened and she saw Laxus still standing.

It had been a tough shock to his system and he owed Cristoff another beer for opening his third origin; without it he'd never have survived. The energy from the roar seemed to be never ending and at a certain point, it began to strain his system so that he began to feel fatigued.

_This is normal. His roar was extremely powerful and you will not be able to fight him after this._

" _What!?"_ Laxus nearly screamed back. " _I need to protect everyone in camp! How can I if I cannot fight?"_

 _Look!_ Electrum projected back simply. Laxus turned his gaze forward, somewhat hunched over from the effort of taking in the magical energy and watched in awe as the magnificent beast began to shrink in size until it was just a man, standing before him.

The roar ended and Laxus' eyes widened as this man threw his head back and let out tremendous laughter. It stopped abruptly and Laxus did his best not to flinch as he turned his cold eyes upon him. "Quite a nice trick you learned there, _father!"_ he nearly spat the words.

Laxus was instantly confused before his inner soul began to project at a volume much louder than he was used to. _What is the meaning of this, Akun? Did I not teach you better?_

"You did teach me. You taught me to seek out challengers. And I surpassed even you," the man said with laughter in his eyes.

_You have perverted everything I sought to instill in you._

"And whose fault is that? Huh?" The man turned his attention back to Laxus. "And I see that I was a disappointment so you found yourself a new student. Is that it?"

Electrum stayed silent but Laxus had had enough. He didn't know the history between these two but he didn't care. "Hey, asswipe. Do us all a favor and get the hell off this island."

Acnologia seethed. How dare this impudent little human speak to him so disrespectfully. "I bet you trust that inner voice you hear to the fullest, huh? I bet he was the one that taught you how to strip away the energy from my roar and into you, yes?" Laxus stayed silent, measuring the man up. He was completely exhausted from magical overload and it was all he could do at the moment to stand.

"And maybe that would have worked back when I was his student, but times have changed and I've grown stronger. I am no longer the scared pup that beast saw me as!" Laxus could feel the horror brewing in his second soul as Acnologia began to draw out the magical energy Laxus had consumed from his body. "I have learned things Electrum could not even imagine," he said with mirth as he began to shoot small bursts of magical energy at Laxus, forcing the blond to continuously back up.

Acnologia continued to approach, pulling more and more magical energy from Laxus, depleting his reserves further and further, past the point where he had been when he started.

"Lucy," Leo whispered, starting to fade. "Your magical energy is being strained as well. I cannot stay here in this world on your power. But I will attempt to break through on my own." Lucy nodded her head in understanding as she watched Leo disappear in golden light. He had assisted her in her fight against Capricorn earlier and that had all been on his own power. Whether he was able to make it through again, she wasn't sure.

Completely drained, Laxus felt a tree hit his back and braced himself for the end.

_I am sorry, Laxus. It seems I have failed a second student in my second life._

" _It's okay. I messed a lot of shit up before you spoke to me. At least it ends on an upswing."_

Laxus closed his eyes, bracing for the last blast that would surely end him, but instead he heard Lucy's voice.

Straining, he managed to open his eyes and watched in disbelief as the woman jumped from somewhere above him to land on top of his aggressor. She had a crazed look in her eye and she was swinging punches at the man with what energy she had left.

"Lucy," Laxus breathed, trying not to cry. Why did she follow him? Now they would both surely die. He could have passed peacefully, knowing he had broken the Conquest bond and given Lucy her freewill back, but now? So soon after she gained her freedom, she would die? He couldn't let this happen.

"Don't you touch him!" she screamed, punching the man hard in the face again. Acnologia merely started to chuckle before grabbing her wrists. Lucy struggled against his grip and his face turned serious. "I'll admit that you startled me, but enough!" he said fervently before throwing her aside. Laxus watched in horror as her body went crashing into a tree and crumpled to the ground.

"Lucy!" he yelled, finding the energy to run to her. Ignoring his assailant, he crouched down to her and laid her flat. "Lucy?" he yelled and said a prayer to the heavens when she cracked an eye open. "What were you thinking?"

Acnologia stood a little ways away, looking bored with the whole scene. He knew he was going to kill both of them, might as well give them this last moment.

"Go kill that motherfucker," she said as she pushed her hand against his chest. Laxus stumbled backwards briefly only to return to her side. She was still breathing but she had passed out completely. " _What the-?"_ He didn't know how to explain it, but when Lucy had touched his chest, she had pushed some form of energy into him. He could feel it blending with his own and increasing his power where he stood.

"So sorry to break up the routine.," Acnologia said, approaching the pair. "For a minute there, I had hoped you would be a worthy challenger, but," he turned his head to the side and looked sad for a brief moment. "I suppose it was not meant to be."

With his last words, Laxus stood and turned to face his opponent. "Shut up," he said calmly before rushing him. Acnologia began to smile but the emotion was instantly wiped off his face when Laxus threw a punch at him, charged with a magical energy that was completely different than his own. Not being able to absorb it, he took the hit and the energy passed into him and he screamed.

Acnologia was thrown back and before he could even catch his breath, Laxus was on him again, hitting him with an energy signature that he didn't understand. The two men began to scramble in the dirt, Acnologia trying his best to regain control over his magic as he was continuously assaulted at close range. He could tell Laxus was slowing down; the man's second wind could only last for so long, and that was when he planned his escape.

It came not a moment too soon. Laxus threw a hard right and hesitated a split second to catch his breath. "Enough!" Acnologia roared. If he couldn't draw the lightning slayer's energy into him, he would draw it from the world around him. Laxus' eyes widened as he felt life energy from the sky and earth all move into the man. He backed away from him quickly, grabbing Lucy and began to run from the fight with barely any energy left.

He turned around to look in horror as Acnologia transformed back into the dragon he had seen at the start.

 _You gave it your all, my son. There was nothing more you could have done._ Electrum projected to him with a sad tone.

Laxus knew it was true. He also knew Lucy had given him some sort of strength to land the last few punches on the man. He had just wished it was enough to defeat that thing. And with that last thought, he and Lucy fell, both completely unconscious in the middle of the forest.

Overhead, a dragon began to circle the island.

. . .

This was not what Draco had envisioned when he invited his Mate into the sky with him. Laxus was currently squaring off with Acnologia in an intense battle.

Nurem was clutching his sleeve as she watched the events unfold below. "We must do something for him!" she exclaimed.

Draco shook his head. "Nurem, you cannot interfere. If you do, Acnologia will surely be able to find you and will come after us."

"I don't care!" she said passionately. "I cannot stand by to watch this happen!"

Her Mate knew there was no talking sense into her when she got like this. "It would mean leaving the oasis," he responded quietly.

Nurem took a deep breath. She had lived an incredibly long and fulfilling life. She knew the implications of what she was about to do, but some things were more important. She would regret every day extra she lived if she had done so at the expense of this man. "I understand."

Draco nodded his acceptance. It was something they had spoken about at length, the implications of Nurem having to leave the oasis, but they had weathered before and they would do so again. He just hoped they could get another sanctuary established quick enough this time. It had been so close last time…

"I love you," he said to his Mate, his words filled with tremendous emotion.

"You have been the light in my life in the midst of so much darkness, my love. We will see each other again," she said, trailing her hand down his face gently. After a brief kiss, the couple turned their attention back to the scene in front of them.

Draco pressed his left thumb into a small tattoo on the underside of his right forearm, a ripple of power filled the area and a woman appeared with the two. "Finally used that little spell I gave ya?" She asked as she gave a quick hug to the both of them. "You two look great, it's been a while."

"It has," Nurem reached out with both hands and the two women embraced. Merlin was a vision. While Nurem knew she was even older than herself, she looked not a day older than twenty-five. Dark, shimmering hair cascaded down the back of her svelte figure. Tattoos adorned most of her body, the most intricate of which being clocks on the underside of her right forearm and thirteen sigils on her left arm from her wrist to her neck.

"There is truly no time to explain. Might we ask your assistance."

Merlin cocked an eyebrow and looked at the scene in front of her. A group of incredibly wounded individuals was huddled at a small camp at the East of the Island. Another two were lying unconscious further away and Acnologia circled up above. She put her hand to the ground and closed her eyes, letting her unique magic flow from her. Scanning the Etheramo signature of the area, she thought she felt Zeref but he was gone.

Merlin didn't like to get involved. She had many times in her youth but as she gained a bit more perspective she stayed out of things. Draco was a big help to her after the incident in Minstrel, as he helped her learn self-forgiveness and taught her some meditation exercises to control her emotions a bit better.

For him to have gone a hair over five hundred years without calling it in, saving these people must mean a tremendous deal. She looked at Nurem and nodded her head just as she saw the entire group link hands and stand in a circle, ready to face their deaths together.

The dragon began to charge his breath and Nurem shouted, "There is no time! Quickly!"

"Right, hang on, we're going plane shifting!" Merlin shouted. Nurem took the direction, instantly using her Lunar abilities to put everyone into a deep sleep. When the dust had settled, Acnologia had disappeared and Tenrou Island was gone.

 


	36. Seven Years Asleep

. . .

Cobra watched from the deck of the merchant ship as Acnologia circled the island a few times before charging his roar. Thankfully, the winds were favorable and he was well out of range of what was soon to be Fairy Tail's demise.

Tentatively, he reached out with his soul magic and was able to hear small snippets of what the large creature was thinking. In his current form, his thoughts were fragmented but Cobra was able to make out the main ideas. " _Anger, rage,"_ and above all, " _fear."_

It was that last one that surprised Cobra. What would Acnologia have to fear? He was arguably the strongest being in existence. Something didn't add up.

" _You got any info on this shit?"_ Cobra projected to Rancidus.

" _Obviously."_

" _Care to share it with the rest of us?"_ Cobra quipped.

" _Go find us another Conquest to play around with. Preferably one that we can_ actually _play around with this time. No more long distance relationships. Then we'll talk,"_ Rancidus snickered.

" _You should know, if you're going to be a smartass, you have to be smart. Otherwise you're just an ass."_

" _Touche, douche."_

. . .

Laxus was falling in and out of consciousness. He opened his eyes, blinking at the bright light around him, not fully understanding where he was. "Lucy?" he said in desperation. He moved slightly and noticed that she was lying next to him, completely knocked out. "Lucy?" he called out her name and she shifted slightly.

It was all he could do to drag his body over to her. With what strength he had left, he pulled her close to his body, holding her close. "I'm sorry," he said as tears streamed down his eyes before he once again lost consciousness.

. . .

Acnologia circled the island, letting his rage fill and consume him. He allowed it to take control of his emotions, his magic, his very being. It is what ultimately gave him the power to transform into a dragon in the first place and he enjoyed the release he gained from giving himself over to his baser instincts.

_Anger._

_"I don't understand after all these years how father managed to show himself, and in another slayer, no less. Had our time together meant so little that he could allow his soul to be imbued in another human?"_

_Rage._

" _He had said that a dragon could only gift Slayer Magic to one human in their entire lifetime! He must have lied! There was no mistaking it, that man bore the magical signature of Electrum. His entire human life, I have been lied to."_

_Fear._

" _That man, he blended forms of magic in a way that left me completely defenseless. I've never experienced something like this. I need to end his life, now! If I do not defeat this challenger, he will surely return for me. The nightmares will come back. The restlessness, the hopelessness, all of it. He must be destroyed. I must do it quickly!"_

Acnologia allowed these feelings to control his magic. Energy poured into his body from the surrounding atmosphere, charging his breath. Without thought, he released it all back in a concentrated roar. When the light cleared from his attack, he let out a relieved sigh, knowing he had destroyed another opponent, and began an exhausted flight back to his mountain.

…

Nurem turned to Merlin with wide eyes. "Did it work?"

Merlin was breathing heavy but otherwise looked okay. "You doubt me? Nurem, I'm bloody hurt."

"I definitely don't doubt your powers but," Nurem scanned the skies alongside Draco. "I can't seem to sense any of the members' magical signatures."

"Right, so I thought they could go to the Plane of Dreams. Don't ask for its actual name, ya couldn't pronounce it without a forked tongue."

Nurem furrowed her brow, a look of worry coming across her features. "What does this mean for all of them? I put them to sleep just before you transferred them."

"Here's how it works. Try to keep up mates. They are safe, they can't go mad because their minds get to dream and because it's where the Yaara Falani live, they can keep nightmares away with their magic and songs. Lovely people, truly. I like being there when I can't sleep..." Merlin looked around, playing with her fingers, mumbling a bit. "Should probably sleep at some point, it's only been..." she flipped her arm over and looked at the clock tattoos, "three years since my last nap."

Before Nurem had the chance to respond, Merlin gave a quick embrace to her and Draco and vanished.

Nurem looked back at Draco and tears filled her eyes."I know she said they're safe but, I don't fully understand what's happened."

Draco knew of the Plane of Dreams and knew Merlin spoke the truth when she said they would be safe. However, she had not filled Nurem in on the larger details of how that plane worked and now there was no time.

"Love, we need to get you somewhere safe. Acnologia will surely pick up your magic signature in a matter of hours and we need you well away from the Oasis by then."

Nurem brushed a tear away from her cheek and smiled at her Mate. He always had her best interests at heart and she knew that. "Thank you, Draco. I will reach out when it's safe. Until then," she reached up and gave him a long kiss, "please watch over them."

Draco drank in his mates last embrace and nodded as the two parted. He knew his Mate would be in hiding for many years before he could construct a new magical field. It would likely be many decades before he saw his love again.

…

_Year One: Shock_

Lucy blinked her eyes open as she looked around. Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, she knew she was dreaming, but she was having difficulty accepting the world in which she awoke-or lack of world, for that matter.

There was absolutely nothing around her. It was simply her, surrounded by an endless expanse of the night sky. She shook her head, trying to make sense of everything. The urge to panic welled up inside of her and she suddenly found herself short of breath. Closing her eyes, she knelt down, trying to suck in air.

Suddenly, the smallest of lights caught her eye in front of her. As she looked at the ground, she realized she was catching the reflection of one small star up above her.

Standing, she squinted her eyes and thought she saw the flashes of lightning far off in the distance.

Her legs began to carry her towards the scene of their own volition. Perhaps she should have been afraid, but for some reason, she knew she needed to head in that direction and she let go and ran with all her might towards the storm.

. . .

Laxus awoke with a start. "The fuck," he exclaimed. Looking around he blinked his eyes several times as he met nothing but a dark expanse. "This can't be right," he said aloud as he got to his feet.

As he grew more panicked, lightning began to flash around him, narrowly missing his body. "Hello?" he called out, trying to get a grip on his current situation.

He tried to tamper down the gut wrenching feeling that he might have died or that Lucy might have died. As he began questioning his very existence, something in the back of his subconscious told him that this was a dream and that he was safe, but that didn't quell his panic.

Turning around again, he tried calling out for Lucy. "Lucy!" When she didn't respond, he began to grow increasingly anxious. Then he heard her.

"Laxus!" Lucy shouted frantically. Finally he came into view in front of her. Somehow she knew he would be there all along. The two looked into each other's eyes and as they reached out to link hands, the world faded.

. . .

_Year Two: Guilt_

_. . ._

Looking down, she noticed that her hand was being held tightly by another. It was warm and the feeling of it around her made her feel safe somehow. She followed her gaze up and saw Laxus, standing beside her. He looked at her, coming to terms with the world that was forming around them.

Lucy gulped as the Guildhall infirmary began to form. A depressed sigh caught her attention and she looked towards the window and nearly gasped as she saw herself, lying in the bed talking with Makarov. She put her foot forward to move but Laxus' hand didn't budge. She looked back at him and he grit his teeth. "I know this day."

As those words left his mouth, another Laxus, wrapped up in bandages, walked through the door to the infirmary. His Grandfather turned around and the two began to talk. Laxus' hand tightened around Lucy and she looked up only to see tears starting to stream down his gray-blue eyes.

" _You are expelled, Laxus."_ The words hit him again just as they had the first time and he nearly collapsed. Lucy began to cry herself, knowing what was to come.

As Laxus walked over to her cot, the present Lucy gripped Laxus tighter. "I'm so sorry," she said, as she knew what she was about to say.

" _I don't think I can believe you, Laxus."_

" _Lucy, I-I've never felt like this about any one. You're all I think about-almost to the point where I feel insane. You've got to feel it, right? It can't be just me."_

Lucy would have collapsed to the ground if it hadn't been for Laxus catching her on the way down. "It's okay," he said, trying not to sound weak from everything they were being forced to relive.

"But it's not," Lucy nearly weeped. The scene before them vanished and the pair found themselves back in their previous landscape. A completely dead night sky stretched out around them. Lucy looked up, looking for that one little star she had seen last time only to discover a second by its side.

"I've never forgiven myself for turning you away like that," she confessed as she sat on the ground. "It was so unlike me. I've always given people a second chance. And when you came to me, I turned you away in a time of need." The girl sighed. "Reliving it just now," she said, swiping a tear from the right corner of her eye away, "I never realized how much I was holding onto the pain and regret of what I did to you. I suppose it's why when you showed up on Tenrou, so amazingly changed for the better, I accepted you immediately."

Laxus swallowed hard, trying to process everything he had just seen. He sat down next to Lucy and hugged her tight to his side. She curled into him and let her tears flow. "I guess I never knew how much pain I felt from Gramps expelling me like that. Instead of facing it, I just turned tail and tried to cover the emotions in travel and fighting and sex."

Lucy chuckled slightly. "Classic Laxus." She felt him laugh the smallest bit next to her before the two just fell back into a comfortable silence. Each understood the pain the other way feeling and each supporting each other as they allowed themselves to fully feel it.

. . .

_Year Three: Anger_

. . .

The ground beneath his feet felt soft and Laxus looked down to see he was standing on grass. He looked to his right to find Lucy standing next to him, he looked to his left to see that he was standing in a clearing surrounded by forest of some sorts and in front of him he saw a vision of Lucy.

His skin itched as he watched that bastard from earlier on the island come into view.

" _C-cobra?"_

" _That's right, baby. And you're about to be all mine."_

" _Who are you?"_

" _You don't remember? You wound me!"_

Laxus began to clench his fists, his knuckles turning white as he watched the man steal Lucy's keys from her, leaving her completely helpless. His throat constricted and his breathing shortened.

His eyes widened in surprise as the Lucy in front of him moaned his name as the man circled her, licking the skin of her neck almost affectionately. His anger almost reached a peak when Lucy, clearly believing this man to be him, started to roam his body as he did the same to hers.

Her teammates filed into the area but it was too late. The man had sunk his teeth into her before he released a purple toxin towards everyone. Instinctively, Laxus threw his hands up at Natsu's flames but realized that they wouldn't hurt him. He almost roared as he watched the scene in front of him and watched the aggressor flee the scene, leaving Lucy and Erza in a crumpled mess in the clearing.

It wasn't until Laxus felt the present-Lucy's hand drop away from beneath his that he looked down and saw her. She had fallen into the ground, watching the scene before them and was shaking. Laxus tried to shake the anger he was feeling away and breathed out his tension.

The scene faded and once again, he found himself sitting besides the girl, the both of them crying out the painful memories they were being forced to relive. Overhead, three stars twinkled amidst a black sky.

. . .

_Year Four: Depression_

_. . ._

Lucy blinked her eyes open. She was laying down on what she wasn't quite sure and the world around her was pitch black. She started to feel awareness in her limbs and realized that her hand was currently being held. Lucy managed to turn her head to the right and saw that Laxus was laying down next to her.

The two stayed this way, silently looking up at the dark expanse above them, neither of them speaking; neither of them having the will to move.

After what felt like an eternity, it was Lucy who finally spoke first. "Will we ever escape from this?"

She heard Laxus sigh. "I don't know," he responded, his voice gravely.

"I feel like we're trapped in some crazy world that only wants to show us our most painful memories. I don't even have the strength to fight it anymore. I just feel," Lucy sighed.

"Numb." Laxus finished the sentence for her.

"Yeah," she agreed before her lips fell silent again.

Nothing else was said. The two of them simply stayed where they found themselves, sprawled out next to each other on the ground, lacking the strength or willpower to move. Overhead neither of them noticed the fourth star amidst a black night.

. . .

_Year Five: Ascent_

. . .

"Maybe there's a purpose to all of this." Laxus startled at the sound of his own voice and moreso at the words he just spoke.

"There must be." That was Lucy. The pair was still laying next to one another but now there was the faintest hint of a sunrise in the distance and Laxus finally realized he was laying out on what appeared to be the hill overlooking Magnolia.

"What do you think it could be?" He was wondering himself but he agreed with Lucy, there had to be some reason the pair was seeing such visions, and together. If they were truly dead, it wouldn't make sense for this to be happening.

"I don't know for sure," Lucy pondered. "But, I do feel like I understand you better now that we've seen these things together. Like, being with you again in the infirmary and seeing how you reacted when I was Claimed," her words trailed off.

"I know what you mean," Laxus admitted, sitting up and pulling the girl closer to him. The human connection felt nice and he wouldn't deny himself of it any longer. "I'm sure I don't even know the half of what you went through when that slayer bit you, Lucy. Knowing that I had a part to play in it." Laxus sighed.

Lucy burrowed into his warmth further, letting him put his arms around her as they watched the sunrise over their city. "I don't fully understand everything that happened to me, but I told you already, what matters to me is that you made it right."

Laxus pursed his lips and dug deep for the courage he needed to say the next words. "Let me tell you what happened, all of it, and then you can tell me whether you still feel the same way. Okay?"

Lucy turned around to look up at the big blond. His eyes were clear and serious and she nodded her head in agreement. She didn't know for how long the pair sat, but Laxus divulged everything to her. How he had unintentionally started the Mating, how he had left her vulnerable without knowing, and how that other Slayer Claimed her because of his ignorance. He held nothing back and Lucy winced when he told her that had the man been savvy enough, there was a strong likelihood that he could have gotten access to her magic and seriously messed things up in the Celestial Realm.

But when he told her of how he had finally come to the decision that he needed to go after her and all that he risked to do it, her heart softened even further. He'd been brand new to his enhanced power but he still chose to fight Acnologia to defend her and the Guild. He admitted that he honestly thought he would die in the fight-and wasn't sure that that hadn't actually happened given the circumstances.

"But, if it turns out we are still alive, I mean to make it up to you, Lucy. If our bond is still in tact after whatever this is ends, I promise to let no harm come to you." Laxus' heart was pounding out of his chest after he finished these last words. He wasn't sure how he managed to tell Lucy everything he had but he felt so relieved to have gotten it all out. Now, he just had to wait for her rejection.

He closed his eyes, waiting for her to kick him, yell at him, run away from him, hell all three and he would have taken them because he deserved it. But what he didn't expect was for Lucy to press her lips against his. His eyes flew wide and he tried to pull back but she wouldn't let go. She deepened the kiss, holding him hostage until he finally relented, pulling her tighter into his body.

When they finally broke for air, he looked at her with questioning eyes. "My answer is still the same. But perhaps it means more to you now, knowing that I know everything." Laxus eyes widened as she looked at him. "Yes, Laxus. What I went through was horrible. But you suffered as well. I forgive you and I shall never regret making that decision." A smile lit across Laxus' face for just a moment before he capture the woman's lips for his own.

Up above, a fifth star added its light to the rising sun.

. . .

_Year Six: Reconstruction_

. . .

"Chickens?" Lucy laughed as she ran through the open field. Laxus smiled as he watched the woman throw her arms out and bask in the warm sun. He directed his gaze towards the building in the distance and squinted. The words "Fairy Tail" were carved out of some old plywood and were barely hanging to the posts in front of the building.

"Lucy, come look at this with me," he shouted to her and she quickly ran over to him. "What do you see?"

"I think it's the Guild," he responded with a furrowed brow.

"Really? This doesn't look like the Guildhall."

Laxus began to pick up the pace towards the building. "I know."

When they reached the front door, they simply walked through, knowing from experience that they couldn't actually touch the physical world.

Macao and Wakaba were sitting at the bar, looking several years older than the last Lucy saw them. "Do you think this is in the future?"

Laxus shook his head. "Don't know."

"It's no use getting everyone excited, man. You gotta give this up," Wakaba lamented.

"I know, but," Macao trailed his words briefly, "the mages from Blue Pegasus. They said they thought they found something. It's worth checking out, don't you think?"

Wakaba took a drag of his cigar. "Look, if you go, go alone. Don't get everyone else's hopes up over a big fucking maybe. That ain't fair and you know it. After nearly six years, everyone's just starting to rebuild."

"Six years," Lucy breathed out. "This is so odd."

Laxus nodded his head in agreement. He hated to admit it, and didn't want to scare Lucy, but he had a sinking feeling that they were actually observing the present situation of the Guild. Or perhaps some future version of it that might exist if they didn't return.

He turned to look at Lucy with growing urgency. "Lucy, we need to get back to the Guild. We've got to figure out a way!"

Lucy embraced him on instinct, sensing his despair and growing anxiety. "I know."

Laxus sagged into her hold. "I'm just so ready to go back."

"So am I," Lucy whispered.

As the two stood in each other's arms, a sixth star shot across the sky.

. . .

_Year Seven: Awakening_

. . .

Freed started to feel heavy as his mind started come out of the dreams. As he stirred he felt a myriad of things all at the same time. Warm soft moving flesh under his head, lithe arms wrapped around his shoulders, fur ticking his naked body...

_Naked?_

Trying to sit up he felt the arms around him tighten. "Five more minutes, hold still love." She murmured and Freed had no idea what to think in this moment.

"Excuse me, but who are you? Why am I naked? Did I do anything offensive?" Freed asked trying to move again but those arms would not let him go. Now she ran her hand down his face and tilted his head up to place a kiss to his forehead.

"You are not letting me go back to sleep are ya?" She said and for the life of him he couldn't place the accent. she let go of him and he sat up, blushing wildly at the intimacy of the moment. Looking around he had no idea where he was.

"Where are my clothes?"

"Do you always wake like this? I was finally having pleasant dreams." she said with a yawn and a stretch.

Freed tried to be a gentleman and not ogle the naked woman but she was just such a unique creature. From her multi-colored hair, slim but strong form and the tattoos all over her. Some of those he recognized as runic scrolling, ancient and powerful ones from dead languages.

"Right, clothes are over there, I don't like them when I sleep. Name is Merlin. You're absolutely brilliant, I couldn't resist having you for a cuddle bunny."

"I'm flattered, truly but..." He pursed his lips as he went to get his clothes. As far as he could tell they were alone, but where they were was lost to him.

"Plane of Dreams, I plane shifted everyone here to escape chaos. Surprised you woke up. Then again, you are fiercely beautiful. Anyone ever tell you that?"

Freed blushed as he put his clothing on and he watched as she simply waved her hand and clothing formed over her. "So now what do I do?"

"You can stay here and watch your friends or run away with me. I'll bring you back, eventually." She said with a wink and a subtle laugh.

 


	37. Goodbyes and Hellos

**. . .**

_"Plane of Dreams, I plane shifted everyone here to escape chaos. Surprised you woke up. Then again, you are fiercely beautiful. Anyone ever tell you that?"_

_Freed blushed as he put his clothing on and he watched as Merlin simply waved her hand and clothing formed over her. "So now what do I do?"_

_"You can stay here and watch your friends or run away with me. I'll bring you back, eventually." She said with a wink and a subtle laugh._

**. . .**

Lucy awoke. Blinking her eyes wide she felt like she had finally caught up on all the sleep she'd been missing her whole life. The lighting was dim so it didn't hurt to open her eyes. She looked around and noticed the rest of the Guild also starting to rouse. Sitting up, she found herself next to Laxus, who was still fast asleep.

She moved to awaken him but she felt a small tug on her arm. Looking down she noticed a small creature, no larger than Plue's size, pulling gently on her sleeve. It was difficult to describe the being, but it's body seemed to be formed out of a swirling midnight blue midst and its eyes shined like twinkling stars. It shook its little head and she understood that she was not to disturb the still slumbering blond.

She smiled at it as it crawled into her lap. She began to pet it as if she would Plue and the creature began to hum a tune that put her instantly at ease. As she continued her gentle strokes, she looked around at her surroundings.

It appeared as if they were all on the grassy knoll that overlooked Magnolia but she knew that couldn't be right. She chuckled slightly as Evergreen attacked Elfman when he finally awoke. Looking further across the way, she noticed Freed, looking fully awake and having a lively discussion with a beautiful woman she had never seen before. Lucy's eyes widened as he began tracing some intricate tattoos down her arm and she almost gasped when the woman reached forward to kiss him, Freed clearly startled but relenting to her touch nonetheless.

"What the heck happened to all of us?" she pondered out loud. The little creature in her lap continued to hum its song and her anxiety melted away, replaced more with just simple curiosity.

Looking at Laxus, she hoped he would wake soon. She had so much she wanted to discuss with him and she finally felt ready.

. . .

Laxus turned around, doing a full circle. "Lucy?" She'd been in every other one of his dreams but he couldn't seem to find her. He squinted his eyes, staring off into the distance but couldn't see anything. It was clear he was still standing on the hill overlooking Magnolia but he seemed to be all alone.

"Laxus." His Grandfather's voice behind him made him jump and he turned to see Makarov sitting in the soft grass just behind him.

"Where did you?" his words trailed off as his Grandfather patted the area next to him, signaling Laxus to sit down.

Laxus did so and the two men fell into a comfortable silence as they looked out at the city in the midst of a beautiful sunrise.

"I won't be coming back with you," Makarov finally spoke.

"What do you mean?" Laxus gruffed, not understanding anything that had happened lately.

Makarov sighed but a slight smile played on his lips. "You're probably unaware, but for the last seven days, we've been asleep in the Plane of Dream."

"Plane of what?" Laxus ran his fingers through his hair. This all felt like too much.

"Plane of Dreams. I'm sure Merlin will explain it all when you awake."

"Who?" Laxus tried to clarify but his Grandfather just shook his head.

"You were ready to wake, but I've held you here because I wanted to tell you, I will not be returning to Magnolia with you."

Laxus tried to fight back the tears he could feel forming. "Why?"

A light smile danced across Makarov's lips. "I've found you Grandmother." Laxus' eyebrows shot up in surprise as he looked at his Grandfather, who seemed genuinely happy. "She left us years ago. And it turns out she's been here since. I can't bear to leave her again."

Laxus had never seen his Grandfather quite so at ease. He took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves. "What about the Guild?"

Makarov nodded. "I've spoken with Guildarts. He is willing to take it over for a time being, until the true successor is ready." Makarov continued to stare straight at the city.

Laxus tried to bite back the nervous feeling he had in his stomach. "And the true successor?"

"It's always been you, Laxus," his Grandfather responded. "You've always had great potential, just like your father. And while you became misguided, it seems to me like you were able to find your way back to the proper path." He sighed as he stood up. "But I won't be there to know for sure. So I've left it up to Guildarts to decide what to do."

Laxus nodded in understanding. He wasn't going to fight his Grandfather. If he felt this was the right move for him and the Guild, he would not question his judgment.

"You've come so far already," Makarov smiled, looking down at his grandson.

"Will I ever see you again?"

"Hard to know. Perhaps the entire Dreyar family will one day meet back up here." He paused before adding, "and I expect you to get to work on those Grandchildren, just incase."

Laxus chuckled. "Deal."

The two men embraced and Laxus watched his grandfather walk away, linking hands with a woman who turned around and winked at him. He smiled, turning back to look out over Magnolia. A single tear fell down his cheek and as he closed his eyes to breathe in the fresh air, he opened them to find Lucy sitting next to him.

. . .

Laxus rubbed his eyes as he sat up and watched in fascination as a little blue swirly creature jumped up from Lucy's lap to give her what appeared to be a kiss before running off from the couple.

Lucy just laughed before she moved to help Laxus sit up. "Any idea about what's going on?" she asked the blond.

Laxus let his body fall forward as he sat up, letting her wrap her arms around him as he brought awareness into his muscles. "I think," he hesitated, trying to make sense of everything that had just happened. "I think we are in some weird dream plane," he responded. "Been here for like seven days or something."

"That's not quite right," Freed said, as he approached the couple. The beautiful woman from earlier had her arm linked around his and Lucy smiled to see how natural the two seemed to go together.

"Freed, who is this enchanting woman?" Lucy said, standing up and hoisting Laxus up with her. The big blond seemed to be dumbstruck that his friend seemed so friendly with such a beautiful woman.

"This is the goddess that saved us," Freed said with absolute reverence.

"Oh, stop," she responded with a thick accent. "Was jus' doin' a favor for an old friend. Besides," she winked at Freed, "got a great cuddle bunny out of the whole thing."

Freed blushed as the woman laughed. "Well, thank you," Lucy responded. "For saving us."

"Fuck, I thought for sure I was dead all this time," Laxus admitted.

Freed's eyes widened at his friend's language and Merlin merely laughed.

"Not dead, just asleep. Although you all had some serious issues to sort out. Seven years was a long time."

Laxus shook his head. "I'm sorry, you must mean seven days, right?"

Merlin scrunched one eye closed and cocked her head to the side. "I'm a bit fuzzy on the time differences between the planes. But I'm pretty sure a day asleep on this Plane equals," she turned her right arm over to look at a series of tattoos on the underside. "A year on Earthland."

"Oh my god," Lucy sucked in a breath. "So that means we've been gone from Magnolia for," her words trailed off.

"Seven years, yes. It was quite a shock to me when I learned as well," Freed stated calmly.

"You don't look shocked," Laxus said, narrowing his brow at his friend.

"Yes, well, I have had almost two years to get over it."

Lucy shook her head. "What do you mean?"

Merlin had a sly smile to her face but Freed continued, trying to explain the nuances of the Plane to his friends. "I awoke two days before you. However, time passes at the same rate as it does elsewhere when awake. "

"Woke me up in the process too," Merlin chided. "But I guess I can't complain. He was an unwitting cuddle bunny and I took that chance when I snuggled up to him. Besides," she added with a glint in her eye, "We had a good deal of fun while you all were sortin' things out those last two years. Although, I wish you would have stayed in that leather getup from earlier," she added.

Freed blushed a bit but smiled. "Now that you mention it," Laxus remarked, "you do look like you've put on a good deal of muscle. Just what have you two been up to?"

Merlin just laughed. "Yeah, well the Planes of Debauchery, War, Mechanis, and elsewhere will do that to you."

Lucy's eyes widened and she suddenly felt like she was hearing things that were better kept private. "Where's the master?" remarked, turning around in search of Makarov.

The realization of Laxus' talk with his Grandfather hit him all of the sudden and he nearly collapsed to the ground. "Laxus!" Lucy shouted as she knelt down beside him. The little creature from earlier came running towards the pair and crawled underneath Laxus hand before beginning to hum its song from earlier.

Laxus instantly felt a sense of relief as he couldn't but help listen to the tune and suddenly his anxiety melted away, instead turning into a form of acceptance of his Grandfather's choice.

"What happened?" Lucy asked him, somehow feeling his shift in emotion. "Does it have to do with your Grandfather?"

Laxus looked into her round brown eyes and found a further sense of calm. He sighed and looked over at Guildarts, who was hugging Cana as the two both awoke. "It does. But I should talk with Guildarts before I say more."

Lucy nodded, not wanting to push the man as Freed and Merlin walked off to assist others who were waking up.

The pair simply sat together, with the little creature humming its tune and Lucy resting her head against Laxus' big shoulder. She couldn't explain it but she felt closer to him in a way that she had never felt before. She figured it must have been the dreams she had and when she had the chance, she meant to ask him if he had truly been there or if it had all been something her own mind created.

Finally Guildarts walked over to the pair. Cana rushed over to give Lucy a hug before her father said to Laxus, "We should talk."

Laxus nodded his head and the two men walked off to a quiet area to discuss things. Cana stayed next to Lucy and pulled away from the hug. "Do you remember anything that happened to you?"

Lucy nodded her head. "I remember all of it. It was as if I was really living it. You?"

Cana nodded her head in agreement. "Guildarts and I worked through some pretty buried shit. Saw mom briefly too. That was fucked up." Cana shook her head at the memory. "But I'm glad we were forced to see what we saw. I think it moved us forward in a way we could never do on our own."

"Wait, your dad was there with you the whole time? He lived the same dreams you did?"

Cana nodded her head. "Yeah, it was weird but when we woke up, we both realized we had lived the same dreams together. Shit's fucked up," she chuckled softly.

Lucy tapped her finger to her lip. _If things worked that way for Cana and Guildarts, then it's likely it was the same for Laxus and I. That must mean that those dreams we experienced were shared._ She was trying to make sense of it all but Guildarts interrupted her thoughts.

"Listen up!" He yelled over the soft din. "I see that everyone is finally awake, so I'll be forward about this!"

"Not so fast!" Natsu shouted from the back. "Gramps isn't here. He must be still asleep somewhere!"

Guildarts shook his head. "We're currently standing in the Plane of Dreams. Merlin," Guildarts nodded to the woman standing beside Freed, "was kind enough to save us from Acnologia's wrath by Plane Shifting us here. We've been asleep for the past seven days, which on Earthland equals roughly seven years."

Gasps rose up across the members, almost quickly turning into a panic. But before that could happen, several of the blue mist creatures like the one that had been with Lucy and Laxus circled around the group and began to hum. The panic seemed to ease from the group and the creatures lessened the song until it was just the one near Lucy that continued to sing its song.

"Freed woke up before all of us and has been kind enough to check on the Guild during this time. I'm not going to sugar coat it, it's in bad shape and we've got a lot of rebuilding to do."

"What about Gramps?" Natsu shouted from the back again. Lucy noticed another little creature break away from the group and make its way over to Natsu. The fire slayer looked at it curiously at first but soon enough, he was sitting contentedly with the little being in his lap, just like Lucy had been doing before.

Laxus stood up next to Guildarts, his voice deep as he spoke. "My Grandfather has decided to stay here, in the Plane of Dreams." Hushed whispers rose up around the other members but Laxus' voice carried over all of them. "He has finally found a peace he had long since lost and he asks that you respect his wishes. There may be a time when he returns to us in the future, anything is possible." A few of the members could be seen giving hugs to one another at the news, but overall, they all respected the Master's decision. "As for Guild leader, the old man has put Guildarts in charge, a decision I hope you will all support."

Guildarts clapped Laxus on the shoulder and nodded his head. "Right. I have no doubts that Makarov was a great Guildmaster and I hope to live up to his legacy in some small way."

Laxus and Guildarts had agreed that Guildarts would accept the mantle of Guildmaster while Laxus sorted out his remaining demons. The lightning slayer had a lot he wanted to look into between the Mating, Electrum's relationship to Acnologia as well as his father's whereabouts. Guildarts also made Laxus promise that he would return to the Guild after no more than a year away, since Guildarts was the first to admit that staying in one place wasn't really his style. Laxus had agreed that he would be ready to take the mantle back before the start of the next Grand Magic Games, subject to Guildarts' final approval.

Guildarts looked at Merlin. "Goddess…"

"Pish, Living Goddess of Minstrel was a title. Merlin, just make it simple." She said with a shrug.

Guildarts nodded quickly, "if you would do the honors. I think we are all ready to return home."

Merlin nodded, taking a second to turn to Freed. "Are you quite certain of your decision."

"I am truly humbled by your offer, Merlin," he said, bowing low. "And the past two years we spent together have been the greatest of my lifetime. I will never forget them. But my sense of duty to my Guild is strong. I could not possibly abandon them at a time like this."

"Bugger, oh well," Merlin grabbed his forearm, startling the rune mage into almost tumbling forward into her. With the nail of her pointer finger, she traced a delicate tattoo into his skin before blowing on it. "There. It's for _when_ you change your mind."

Freed looked at the tattoo with wide eyes, instantly recognizing the gravity of the mark she had placed on him. The corner of his mouth turned upward. "When and not if, my goddess?"

She chuckled. "I've seen your beautiful mind, my dear Freed. I chose the right word." And for the first time in perhaps five hundred years, Merlin experienced feeling surprised when Freed wrapped his arm around her slender waist, pulling her tight against him for a searing kiss.

When the two separated and the jeering and hollers had died down, Merlin straightened her skirt and said, "Right, well, if everyone would please link up, it makes this a lot easier." Once everyone had formed a circle holding hands, "hold on tight. It's going to be quite the ride," were the last words they all heard before they found themselves back on Tenrou Island, sitting up in the dirt.

"Look there!" Lucy heard a young man's voice. She looked over to see a much more grown up Romeo. "It's them! They're alive!"

. . .

When they had all shown back up at the new Guildhall, the party had been spectacular. Everyone instantly put their grief away and rejoiced in their teammates coming back to them.

Lucy had been laughing and reconnecting with her old guildmates when she turned around to notice that Laxus hadn't entered the hall. She gave one last hug to Laki before jogging her way out to where Laxus was seated outside on an old tree stump.

He looked extremely sad, sitting there by himself, throwing bits of feed from a nearby bag to some wandering chickens. "This place looks just like it did in our dreams," Lucy said softly. Laxus turned to look at her before throwing the rest of the feed down and brushing his hands clean.

"So you remembered?" He moved to get up but Lucy held up her hand, turning an old bucket over so she could sit across from him.

She nodded her head. "I spoke with Cana. Turns out we weren't the only ones to have joint dreams in that place." Lucy reached forward and held his hands in hers. He allowed himself the small pleasure of running his thumb across her skin, finding calmness in her touch.

"I meant what I said, I will protect you until the Mating wears off."

Lucy smiled. "I know. And we can talk about all of that later. But you should come inside," she encouraged.

Laxus just shook his head. "Can't. Not a member anymore, remember?"

"Bullshit," Lucy cursed and Laxus' eyes widened. "After what you risked to protect us all out there, fighting that demon dragon thing. Your Grandfather may have exiled you but you more than made up for any perceived wrongdoings."

"I tend to agree with her," a deep voice sounded. The blondes looked up to see Guildarts walking through the front doors of the hall. "As the Guildmaster, it's my prerogative to welcome you back into the Guild, Laxus." The two men stared at one another. "And I know you need some time to sort things out yourself, but that doesn't mean you can't take that space as an official member of Fairy Tail."

Laxus let his head hang. "There's no way anyone else would want me back. Not so soon at least. But thanks."

"I wouldn't be so quick to speak for others," Freed said, joining Guildarts outside. Laxus lifted his head, truly marveling at the changed appearance of his friend.

"Yeah! You still owe me a fair battle!" Natsu chimed in, joining the increasing number of Guildmembers outside.

"We weren't there on Tenrou," Wakaba said in his raspy voice, "but I trust the word of my guildmates. "And if what they say is true, you've more than earned your place in the Guild."

A number of other Guildmembers flooded into the area, all of them expressing the same sentiments. Laxus stood and instinctively wrapped an arm around Lucy. "Shit, I dunno what to say."

"Say you'll be a fucking fairy again!" someone shouted from the back. Lucy shook her head; it was Cana.

The crowd laughed and Laxus actually smiled. Lifting his hand up over his head, he raised his pointer finger. The Guild cheered as they all did the same.

 


	38. Living Arrangements

. . .

_A number of other Guildmembers flooded into the area, all of them expressing the same sentiments. Laxus stood and instinctively wrapped an arm around Lucy. "Shit, I dunno what to say."_

" _Say you'll be a fucking fairy again!" someone shouted from the back. Lucy shook her head; it was Cana._

_The crowd laughed and Laxus actually smiled. Lifting his hand up over his head, he raised his pointer finger. The Guild cheered as they all did the same._

. . .

"You didn't actually think your apartment would be here seven years later? Did you?"

"I, uh," Lucy shifted uncomfortably under her former landlady's stare. When the party had died down at the Guild, Lucy indicated she wanted to go check on her living arrangements and Laxus nodded, indicating he would go with her. So he stood by her side, trying his best not to growl at the woman for the tone she took.

"You're lucky I don't charge you rent for those seven years," the woman said with a slight glint in her eye, almost as if she was considering it.

Laxus crossed his arms, unable to stay silent. "I'd like to see you try. That's not legal."

The woman raised her brow at the big blond. "What do you know? You don't even look like you know how to read," she said mockingly.

Laxus set his jaw. _Oh this woman wants to play._ "Under Magnolia law, all rental agreements are fixed term tenancies. Which means at most you could charge Lucy for the remainder of the rental period. However, Lucy informed me that you never actually gave her a rental agreement, which makes it a month to month tenancy. So she owes you nothing, except maybe the costs of moving her belongings to storage."

The landlady just scoffed, having been bested and none too happy about it. "Yeah, well I sold her belongings seven years ago when she abandoned the residence."

"You what?!" Lucy said in disbelief.

The woman walked back inside the building to return with a medium sized box. "This is everything that didn't sell." She all but threw the box at Lucy, who had tears streaming down her face. "I think we're done here."

Laxus nodded, lifting the box gently out of Lucy's hands and directing her away from her former landlady. As the two walked, he tried to think of something to say. "Hey, it's just stuff, right? We can replace it."

Lucy shook her head, trying to wipe away the tears of shock. "Yeah, I suppose so. It's just that-"

Laxus interrupted her. "You worked for all those things yourself. I get it."

Lucy looked at him with wide eyes. It was like he understood what she was feeling without her evening having to say it. "How did you know that stuff about the lease?"

"I own a business, remember? Plus, I dappled in real estate around the city."

Lucy mouthed the words "oh" as she walked quietly beside him. She definitely hadn't pegged Laxus as someone who could school her landlady in real estate law. This man continued to surprise her. Suddenly the blonde realized she didn't know where they were going.

"Gonna go check on Bartab," Laxus answered without her even asking the question.

"You think it's still doing okay?"

Laxus shrugged his shoulders. "Should be. I had the company put into a trust for the benefit of the Guild if something happened to me. It was a pretty self sufficient investment and the profits should have gone to the Guild in my absence."

Lucy nodded. It seemed like it had worked because despite the Guild having to downsize to the building on the outskirts of town given its loss of members and job fees, it stayed afloat and never had to borrow money, at least according to Macao.

It was a Tuesday night so the place was real quiet. When Laxus walked up to the front door, a new bouncer asked him for his ID and entrance fee and Laxus smiled. He put a hand on the man's shoulder. "You wouldn't know this, but I'm Laxus Dreyar. Is Grilled Chicken around?" The man widened his eyes and nodded his head, saying a few words into his headset. He let Laxus and Lucy pass through the entryway and Lucy followed the larger blond up to his office.

Laxus opened the door and nodded his head in approval. Everything was still in the same state he left it and thankfully, it appeared that the guys had good enough sense to have the cleaning staff come through once per week to handle the dust. Laxus set Lucy's box on the ground near the desk and Lucy took a seat on the black leather sofa.

She looked around as Laxus switched on a few lights and shivered. She distinctly remembered the last time the pair had been in this office.

_Pushing her thong aside, he lined himself up at her entrance. He spoke close to her ear with heated breaths, "Lucy, tell me how much you want me to fuck you. I need to hear you say it."_

" _Oh god, Laxus," Lucy moaned, pushing her body into his._

" _Not good enough," he said as he moved his length around her entrance. "I need to hear you say it. Tell me what you want me to do, Lucy. Say it!"_

_She gasped as his rod prodded her entrance. Her core felt so empty and she knew he could give her what she needed. She locked eyes with him. "Fuck me, Laxus. You know I need it."_

_Laxus let his length slide into her just slightly. "Tell me you belong to me. I want to hear you say it."_

_He was pushing her to the breaking point. It had felt like an eternity since she'd felt so satisfied and she was so close to it right now. And yet, he was keeping what she needed from her._

" _Say it, Lucy! Say you're mine!" he said with increasing fervor, sliding his length slightly in and out._

" _Yes, oh god, Laxus, yours, I'm yours just please, fuck me!"_

Lucy blushed furiously at the memory before she felt her body heat up. " _No. I get that I haven't had sex for seven years but seriously, Laxus and I have a lot to talk about. I will not fuck this up!"_ But looking at him as he moved around the room with purpose, she so wanted to.

Her thoughts were thankfully interrupted when the man nicknamed Grilled Chicken came into the room.

"Where the hell you been, man?"

Laxus just chuckled and let his hand rub the back of his neck. "On one hell of a bender."

The two men laughed and Grilled Chicken continued. "Well, everything's good here. Your instructions were real specific. I'll admit when Freed also disappeared we were a little worried but we just kept everything running like you instructed."

Laxus nodded his head. "You're a good man. Watch your paycheck next week." Grilled Chicken tried to protest and Laxus just put up his hand and the discussion was done.

"Glad to have you back." The two men shook hands and the manager left the office.

Laxus turned around and laughed at Lucy's face. "What?"

"Grilled Chicken? What kind of a name is that?"

Laxus laughed. "Some little bouncer chick we hired years ago came up with it. He used to work the door with a guy named 'T-Bone,' and he would go on and on about how good of a source grilled chicken was for lean protein. She thought it was hilarious that the two guys workin' the door were steak and chicken. The name just stuck."

Lucy laughed. "You hire girl bouncers?"

Laxus nodded. "Yeah. Gotta have someone that's able to go into the female restroom if there's a problem. Or some girls don't feel comfortable talking to the guys if there's an issue."

Lucy nodded her head in understanding. Laxus looked at her, sitting on his couch. He tried to keep his breathing even. He vividly remembered the last time the two were in his office, with her on his couch.

_He guided her to the black leather couch and laid her down. Removing his boxers, he was on her in an instant, pushing his hard angles against her soft curves. Lucy mewled as his heavy erection slid against her wet core easily._

_Laxus was near breaking point. He needed to be buried inside this woman. He needed her walls to hold onto him like no other woman's could. She grounded him in a way he'd never experienced before and he needed her like he needed air. But he also needed her to submit to him—he didn't know why, he just did._

He understood what was driving him that night now and as strongly as he was drawn to her, he knew he needed her to be the one that made the choice about them moving forward.

Neither of them moved, both lost in past memories and unsure of how to proceed. It was Lucy who finally broke the silence with a sigh. "Thanks for coming with me tonight. I guess I should get going trying to find somewhere to stay."

Laxus sort of figured this topic would come up and he already knew how it was going to be handled. "I want you to stay at my place," he said flatly.

Lucy laughed nervously. "Laxus, that's really not necessary. You really shouldn't feel obliged."

The big blond shook his head. "I don't feel obliged. I wasn't joking when I said I was going to be watching out for you until the Mating wears off or-" he paused. They hadn't talked about how they were going to handle this whole Mating thing. The pair fell silent again, each unsure of how to proceed. "Well, whatever the case, I really would like you to stay with me."

Lucy could tell there wasn't much room for argument in Laxus' eyes. " _I don't know how I'm going to resist him if I'm living in the same damn house."_ She sighed internally before saying, "Shouldn't we go see if your house is okay? You might not even have a house!"

Laxus shrugged. "Not likely. I bought that land outright and again, it was set up to go to the Guild if something happened to me. Unless they went and sold the place, it should be just as I left it."

Lucy nodded her head in understanding and tried not to watch as Laxus bent over to pick up her box of belongings. She bit her lower lip as his shoulder muscles bunched and she told herself again to get it under control. Laxus tucked the box under his arm and walked closer to her. Instinctually she held her breath as he wrapped an arm around her waist. "You ready?"

Not able to trust herself to form words she just nodded her head and, just this once, rested her head against his chest. Laxus took a deep breath, trying to calm his own nerves before he teleported them out to his house on the outskirts of town.

. . .

His house was as he expected: still there and still his, just overgrown. Laxus took a moment to walk around the property and nodded his head as everything still looked in okay shape. Finally returning to the front, he opened the door for the both of them. Lucy coughed as she swatted her hand at the dust that they stirred up upon entering.

"I guess seven years will do that," Laxus chuckled as he coughed himself.

Lucy almost jumped when Virgo appeared in a puff of pink smoke. "Princess, might I clean for you?"

"Err, you really don't have to. Besides, it's not my home, you should ask Laxus."

Virgo turned to the big blond and raised an eyebrow. "Might I be of service?" she asked, bowing low.

Laxus gave Lucy a " _how could you turn her on me?"_ look and Lucy just shrugged. "Only if you would like to," Laxus said uncertainly. Virgo disappeared with another puff of smoke and by the time Laxus and Lucy had removed their shoes, they looked up to see the house sparkling clean.

"Punishment, Princess?" Virgo said with a glint in her eye.

"No, thank you though," Lucy added. And with that, the odd maid spirit disappeared.

"She always say that to you?" Laxus chuckled and Lucy groaned, nodding her head.

The laughter died down and suddenly Lucy wasn't sure what to do. She half expected Laxus' house to be in an unlivable state, which would have bought her time to figure things out in her head. But it wasn't, and now they were here. " _Alone, together."_

She broke the silence with the first thing that came to mind. "Weren't Evergreen and Bickslow living here?"

Laxus nodded his head. "Yeah. But Bix said his family finished up the remodel on his home while we were gone and Evergreen said something about a bathtub in his guest room that was too good to pass up," he chuckled. "So I guess she's staying with him for the time being."

Silence filled the air again before they both started to say one another's name at the same time. "You start," Laxus offered, taking a seat on the sofa and motioning for Lucy to sit across from him.

She smiled slightly and sat down against the cushion. "I don't know how comfortable I am staying here," she confessed.

Laxus furrowed his brow. "You mean like being around me?" " _Of course, it makes sense. I've put her through hell and more. She's got every right not to want to be around me."_

But Lucy surprised him as she instantly waved her hands in front of her face. "No, no!" she said vehemently, and then added, "that's definitely not it," in a softer tone. "I just don't want to feel like some charity case, you know?"

Laxus nodded his head, trying to get over the small celebration his mind was having at Lucy admitting she didn't have a problem being around him. "What about a compromise?"

Lucy arched one eyebrow. "What did you have in mind?"

Images of bending her over the sofa she was currently sitting on flashed before Laxus' eyes and he had to shake the thoughts away. That was definitely something he had in mind, but nothing he would propose. "I fucking hate to cook and clean. Half the time I ate at the Guild and the other at the bar. And I always hired a cleaning service. You handle those things in exchange for rent."

Lucy quirked her lip slightly. "That's playing up the domestic roles awfully hard, isn't it?" she asked in a chiding tone.

"Shit! I'm sorry, I didn't even realize!" Laxus admitted, running his fingers through his hair. " _Fuck, what is wrong with me? Asking her to clean and cook like she's my-"_ he gulped, scared at the fact that he wasn't instantly hating the idea.

Lucy just chuckled. "I'm only teasing. It's fine. I don't mind those sorts of chores. And besides, I have Virgo to help on the cleaning. She gets a weird pleasure out of it. So deal, until we figure out-" she paused, "everything else."

Laxus swallowed hard and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs. "I think we should talk about all that."

Lucy nodded her head. "I agree. But, are you really ready to do that now?" She looked between the two of them. They were both looked pretty wrecked from the ship ride back to Fiore, not to mention waking up in the dirt after seven years of being on a separate plane. Mentally and physically they were both exhausted.

Laxus sighed, not wanting to wait to discuss the issue but seeing the logic in Lucy's answer. He stood and offered her his hand. "Tomorrow then?"

Lucy placed her own in his and nodded her head. "Tomorrow. Let's just enjoy this evening."

Laxus raised an eyebrow and Lucy turned two shades brighter. "Not that way, pervert."

"Hey," he laughed. "I didn't say a damn thing." Lucy smiled back at him before he surprised her by pulling her into an embrace. "I'm glad to have you here with me," he admitted softly into her hair. "Whatever ends up happening between us, I at least want you to know that."

Lucy's heart clenched as she inhaled his musky scent. Being so close to him was not good for her self control. When Laxus released her, she reached up to plant the smallest of kisses against his lips. Laxus couldn't help but deepen it for just a second before the two parted. She smiled as she drew in air. "Thank you," she paused before adding, "for everything."

 


	39. Chill

Lucy awoke with a start and it took her a solid minute to realize that she was safe in Laxus' guest room. She could feel the sweat still clinging to her body and she groaned as she pulled the now soaking undershirt Laxus had given her to wear to bed off her body.

The dream had felt so real. _Running through the underbrush, she pushed herself with what little energy she had left. Turning back around she saw Laxus' furrowed brow as he tried to encourage her on. She glanced a look upward and saw the black dragon circling above them, seeking them out._

_She tripped on the underbrush and fell into the dirt, completely exhausted and without energy to get up. Laxus followed, collapsing from his own exhaustion. She moved in and out of consciousness as she heard the roars of the great beast up above her. Before her world went dark, she felt two strong arms come circle around her._

Lucy tried to shake the memory from her head, not wanting to relive it a second time that night. She started to shiver as the liquid cooled on her body. Pulling the covers tight around her, she sighed, knowing that she needed another layer if she was going to fall back asleep.

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, she tiptoed out of her room and gently opened the door to the master suite. She held her breath, waiting to see if Laxus was still asleep. Hearing his even breaths, she breathed a sigh of relief to see that he was. She was half naked after all. Walking over to the dresser he showed her, she carefully opened it to pull out another t shirt.

Just as she finished putting it on, she froze as Laxus shifted suddenly in the bed. She turned around carefully to look at him. He was still very much asleep but his brow was furrowed and he was sweating just as she had been. "Keep running!" he mumbled out as he thrashed the covers off of him. Lucy jumped as he called out her name before bolting upright in bed himself.

The two looked at each other for a split second and the tears streaming down Laxus' face that Lucy hadn't seen in the dark had her running over to him. They fell into an easy embrace and Laxus hugged her tight against his chest.

"NIghtmare?" she said against his skin.

Laxus nodded his head and took a deep, calming breath. "Did I wake you?"

Lucy shook her head before pulling apart slightly. Still sitting next to him she pulled on the new t shirt gently. "I had one too. Sweat clean through the shirt you gave me. Snuck in to grab another one."

Laxus looked at the clock to his right. It was the early hours of the morning and he sighed. He'd had these sorts of dreams before and they often returned when he went back to sleep. He looked at Lucy and noticed her looking down and biting her lip.

"Something on your mind?"

She looked into his eyes and a war waged in her head. Lucy so desperately wanted to stay in this bed with him, if nothing else but for the sense of security that she felt around this man. But she didn't want to lead him on. Her own thoughts on their relationship were so scrambled, she couldn't seem to figure out what she wanted. Other than to jump his body-that was always a given where the lightning slayer was concerned.

"I, uh," she hesitated, the words on her lips but unable to speak them. She looked down and began to fiddle with the hem of her shirt.

Laxus took her hands in his and she looked back at him. "Stay with me?" He paused before adding, "I know we need to talk things through, but I just really want you here with me right now."

Lucy smiled slightly, allowing him to wrap his arms around her and pull her in close. "I want that too."

The big blond instantly relaxed as he pulled her soft curves against him before draping the covers over both of them. Lucy settled against his chest, listening to the rhythm of his heart beat, lulling her into a dreamless sleep. Laxus tried to let his mind ease at the thought of Lucy sleeping against him, but within minutes her gentle scent had him nodding off himself.

. . .

She knew it was wrong, but it felt so good. Waking up next to the hulking blond's sculpted body was quickly showing Lucy how little self control she truly had. It had started when she stretched, the friction of her body moving against his feeling far too good. The next thing she knew, she was pressing her body closer into his as she traced the lines of his muscles on display above where the sheet had fallen.

Laxus began to stir before letting out a soft moan and Lucy gasped as she saw the evidence of her touch start to lift. " _Fuck me, he looks delicious. Maybe he won't mind,"_ she argued with herself before finally giving into her baser instincts and letting her tongue trail just the slightest against his pectoral.

When she finally lifted her head, she startled as Laxus was looking at her with one eye cracked open. "I-" she stumbled over her words, but she didn't have the chance to say any more. Laxus rolled them both over, trapping her beneath him and pressed his body into hers. She moaned his name before he brought his lips to hers, tasting them gently with his tongue before pressing his more firmly against hers.

He thrust his hips forward and Lucy moaned at the contact, the only thing separating them being her thin panties and his tented boxer briefs. Laxus didn't waste time claiming her mouth. His tongue pushed in, twisting around her own and she arched her body against his in response.

Their movements became more frantic as hands began to explore forgotten expanses. Laxus' callused hand started low, traveling slowly over her hip bones before ascending up her side as she shivered. Her shirt bunched as he allowed his hand to press into her skin until his thumb was finally brushing the underside of her breast.

"God, yes! Laxus," she gasped as they broke for air. Laxus himself felt like he was nearly at his breaking point. Driving his hips against her body, he could feel himself moving closer and closer to a point of no return. Lucy started to plant kisses against his neck and Laxus knew he had to stop what he started. He let his head fall into the crook of his neck and stopped his movements.

Both of them worked to catch their breath before Laxus finally said, "this isn't fair to you, Lucy. I'm so fucking drawn to you I can barely handle it, but you deserve to make this choice with a clear mind." Laxus allowed himself one last breath of Lucy's scent and planted a chaste kiss against her neck before he sat back on the bed.

Lucy shifted so that she was sitting up against the headboard. She looked at Laxus and didn't question herself. The physical evidence that he wanted to continue was plain on his body. She didn't need his reassurances in that and she knew he was right and that they should talk things through before they jumped back into bed together.

She sighed before she nodded her head. Laxus leaned forward and picking up her hand, planted a kiss to it before walking himself into the bathroom and closing the door. Lucy heard the shower turn on and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to get the images of the blond dripping wet out of her head before she headed back to the guest room to get cleaned up.

Once alone in the privacy of his bathroom he instantly turned the shower and fan on for the noise. He leaned his arms against the counter and let his head hang down. He tried to breathe out his frustration but there was no helping the raging erection he was still sporting. Pulling himself away from Lucy had been one of the hardest things he had ever done. He could still feel her supple curves against his flesh and a very deep part of him wanted to tear the bathroom door off its hinges and complete the Mating with her against every surface of his room.

But he knew that he had put her through too much already to do something like that to her. She deserved to make this choice freely. Which was why he knew he was going to let this Mating fade. It would be hard, but he had already come to this decision before they had even returned to his home. If she wanted to be his Mate, then he would worship the ground she walked upon but she was entitled to make that choice herself and not have it thrust upon her given dire circumstances.

Shaking his head, he stepped into the spray and attended to his own needs.

Across the house, Lucy let the soaker tub fill up before she sank deeply into it. She sighed as she let her head fall back against the ledge and tried to think through her current situation. " _The Laxus I've seen over the past few days-err-years, is so very different than the Laxus that left for Bosco all that time ago."_ She rolled her eyes. She knew she was falling hard for the man. " _I just wish I knew whether it was this Mating thing that is causing it or whether it is actually my own feelings. But I feel so unbelievably drawn to him."_

Thinking about the man, she had to admit that she knew very little about him. She understood that he was raised by his Grandfather, or at least it was common knowledge throughout the Guild that his father had been expelled, but why she didn't know. His schooling of her former landlady in real estate law was enough to show her that she had a lot to learn about this man. Aside from the very real desire to warm his bed and the very vivid memories of him between her legs at regular intervals, she truly did want to get to know him.

" _Whatever he has to say about this whole Mating thing, I'm committed to moving forward with him."_ She laughed, not going so far to mentally threaten a Lucy Kick.

. . .

A few hours later found them sitting across from one another in the living room in silence. Lucy wasn't sure where to look, because every time she looked at the floor, her mind took her back to the last time she was laying down on it.

_Lucy gasped as she suddenly felt like she was falling backwards but calmed as soon as she sensed the large man controlling her on the way down. She bit her swollen lower lip as Laxus stood above her. He seemed larger than life from this position and she couldn't wait to experience all that this man promised to be._

_Lucy nearly screamed when she felt Laxus' tongue on her center. She was already so close but his tongue on her folds felt simply amazing and what he was doing to her clit now had her careening towards her end. Her hands thread their way through his blond spikes and she moaned his name._

"Lucy," she heard her voice over and over again and finally startled when she realized present Laxus was trying to get her attention.

"Sorry," she said with a sheepish grin. "Caught me daydreaming."

"I guess I'll start." He paused. "I'm just not really sure where to begin."

Lucy crossed the distance between them and cuddled up next to the blond on the couch. He seemed to relax as she linked her hand with his. "Maybe just tell me what happened after you left the Guild. Walk me through what you learned as you learned it."

Laxus nodded his head. "I think I can do that." Lucy stayed silent as he began to explain going to Bosco and staying with Bickslow's family. Her eyes widened as she learned about the lacrima inside him and how he had his third origin opened to better control that magic. She kept her lips shut when he explained what had happened to him the night their first Mating was severed.

"I didn't know anything about being a dragon slayer up until then. I still don't know as much as I should," he admitted. I put you in terrible danger, and for that I'm deeply sorry. He had just finished explaining to her what he had learned of Conquests through his discussions with Nurem and Lucy took in all the information calmly.

She nodded her head and took a few seconds to process. Finally she spoke, "I get that you feel responsible for that, but at the end of the day, I'm an adult woman and fully capable of taking care of myself. Sure, I didn't know that I would be so-" she paused, "sought after, by other dragon slayers, but as Fairy Tail mages we take those sorts of risks everyday."

Laxus sighed. "I appreciate you trying to be cool about this whole thing, but I don't know if you fully understand how much of my fault this is."

Lucy furrowed her brow. "What, it's your fault that your old man hurt you the way he did and no one ever taught you how to use your magic?"

Laxus shook his head. "I could have asked Freed to research it for me. Hell, he went and did it a couple times without me asking when we were younger but I always refused to learn. I dunno I guess somehow I felt like this magic was what caused my family to break apart. I've always resented it."

"I get that," Lucy sighed. "In a way it worked opposite for me. Our family broke apart when my father tried to stop me from using magic. So because of that, I've always been more drawn to it. But we all respond to things in different ways. Your response was natural. You can't hold yourself so accountable in this instance."

Laxus shrugged. "But I do."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "But you shouldn't." He just smiled at her, knowing they had come to an impasse. Lucy let out a heavy breath and crossed her arms.

"You don't like it when people disagree with you, do you?" Laxus asked with narrowed eyes.

Lucy bristled slightly, playing it up a bit more than normal before she finally broke and smiled back at him. "No. And definitely not on something like this!" She paused and added, "but I respect what you're feeling. I just want you to know that I don't hold a grudge."

Laxus dared to put his arms around her and pull her into an embrace. "Thank you," he said against her neck. "That means a lot to me." They stayed connected for a minute before they finally parted. Laxus continued to tell Lucy about why he needed to initiate the second Mating.

"So, you did it to break that guy's Conquest bond?"

Laxus nodded his head. "It was the only way to do it for sure and in such a rush. But with your magic, and the possibility he could use your magic, I felt like it needed to be done quickly. And," he gulped.

"And?" Lucy tried to encourage.

"That other slayer, Cobra was his name I think. He was a poison dragon slayer. Nurem said his magic, through the Conquest, was probably poisoning you. I was worried I might already have been too late." Laxus shuddered as he said the last few words and Lucy brought him in close.

"It's okay," she tried to say soothingly. "I don't blame you for any of this."

Laxus closed his eyes and allowed her presence to help calm him. "Yeah, but I almost wish you would. It doesn't feel right to not have you upset at me after everything I've put you through."

Lucy chuckled. "Do you want me to start a fight then? I'm afraid I've already lost the high ground, since you claimed withholding sex this morning."

Laxus smiled briefly at her chiding. "About that." Lucy held her breath for the next part of the conversation. She knew it was going to be difficult. "I hope you didn't think I didn't want you, because," he sighed, "I so very much did, and still do," he added.

"But I get it, we have a lot to talk about."

"Yeah." Laxus nodded his head. "But I've already made up my mind about this," Laxus said in a practiced tone. "I think it's best if we let this Mating fade."

Lucy startled at his words and sat back on the couch, separating herself. His words hurt her, like truly hurt her. " _Does he not want to be with me, afterall? Am I not good enough for him? He was forced into this situation. I'm just some charity case after all."_ She planted her feet on the ground, ready to run away from this whole thing but Laxus' hand catching hers stopped her.

She looked into his gray eyes and saw a true sadness there and it gave her pause. "Please, I'm sorry if that hurt you. Let me explain." Lucy nodded and she sat back down. "It's just that, all your life, you've had people telling you what to do. I know a bit of your history and why you ran away. I did what I had to do to protect you. It doesn't matter that I wanted it in that moment. It was forced out of necessity. I just think it would be fairer to you if you had the opportunity to make that choice for yourself, if you ever decided that's something you wanted." Laxus felt almost out of breath trying to get all of that out and he waited nervously for Lucy to respond.

Finally, she faced him and grabbing his own hands she spoke. "I appreciate what you're trying to do for me. I really do. But don't you see that what you're trying to do is taking that choice away from me?" Laxus furrowed his brow, clearly not understanding. "From what you told me about the Mating, our new bond wouldn't have formed if we hadn't each wanted it. There's no arranged marriages when it comes to the Mating. In that moment, I made my choice. If you force me to let it fade, then you're taking that choice away from me."

"Fuck." Laxus let his head fall between his hands and he closed his eyes. "I don't really know what to do then. I don't know how to handle all this."

Lucy reached forward for his face and pulled it up so he would look at her. "What is it that you want? You're allowed to want things, you know."

Laxus quirked his lips to the side as he took in the sight of the woman before him. "I obviously want you, the Mating wouldn't have worked if I didn't. But everything feels so rushed. And I'm carrying around a tremendous amount of guilt because of it. It's making it really hard to understand my feelings about everything right now." Laxus sighed.

Lucy held his hands in hers. "Then for right now, I think we should just chill and see what happens."

The side of Laxus' mouth twitched. "Chill? That's not a word most Fairy Tail wizards know."

Lucy laughed and Laxus couldn't help but smile as he watched her bright hair reflect the sun streaming through the windows. "I guess that's true. We'll just have to do our best then."

 


	40. Trust

"Let me get this straight," Cana said while searching through the racks at a local discount store, "You're living with Laxus, in exchange for rent you're handling the domestic situation, you crawled into his bed two days ago, woke up with him on top of you the next morning, and you two still haven't fucked?"

Lucy rushed over to try and cup her hand over her friend's mouth. "Would you please not announce my life to the world?"

Cana nodded her head and as soon as Lucy let her hand drop, Cana added, "I just don't understand why you haven't hit that yet?"

A few other shoppers rolled their eyes at the women before moving to different areas of the store. Lucy sighed. She probably should have filled Cana in on the details after they left a public place, but she so desperately needed clothing right now. And while Virgo had offered to give her things from the Celestial Realm, it seemed like the maid's idea of clothing right now more closely resembled lingerie. Lucy was convinced the pink haired spirit was also playing at something, too.

"I'm testing my self restraint, I guess," Lucy sighed.

Cana scoffed. "Yeah, no kidding." She paused before adding. "Sounds like he is too. Aren't you guys supposed to be Mated or something?"

Lucy picked up a pink shirt and held it up to herself in the mirror before adding it to her cart. "Yeah, technically."

Cana raised her eyebrows. "I don't think there's a _technically_ when it comes to Mating. But I'm definitely not an expert."

"Well, we're not fully Mated," Lucy said, throwing a pair of shorts in with the pink top. "We're like halfway."

"Which means?"

"Which means, we get to decide if we want to go through with the full Mating or let it fade."

Cana whistled. "You two decide what you're going to do yet?"

Lucy shook her head as she ran her fingers along some of the other tops. "No. Laxus told me he wanted to let it fade, but only because he said it wasn't fair that I didn't get the make the choice in the first place. But-"

Cana interrupted. "Sounds like you're not happy with that decision."

"I'm not!" Lucy said, stomping her foot a bit. "I'm not saying I know for sure that I want to spend the rest of my life with this man, but it's not like I don't have feelings for him. It'd be impossible after everything we've been through."

Cana nodded in understanding. "I know what you mean. I feel like I know so much more about Guildarts after the time we spent on that dreamy plane. It's hard not to love someone when you both know each other's deepest darkest secrets."

Lucy's eyes widened. "Who said anything about love?"

Cana gave the blonde a devious smile. "No one. Just checking. You ready to check out?"

"Yeah," Lucy said with narrowed eyes at her friend before shaking it off and heading to the check out.

. . .

"So you're good to stay with Bix for the time being, Ever?"

"Quite," the woman responded while fanning herself. "There's no way I would dream of intruding on you and Lucy's privacy." Laxus sighed at her dramatics. They were sitting in his office at the bar and the AC was blasting but he recognized her fan was more for function that for form.

"There's really no privacy situation," the blond responded. "Just want to make sure you've got a place to stay." Laxus turned his attention to the other member of his team sitting in one of his office chairs. "Freed, you're good?"

The Rune Mage nodded. "Yes, I have accommodations, thank you. Laxus, if we could, I have a few things to discuss with you."

At those words, Evergreen stood. "I'll take my leave then and leave the boring chit-chat to you two."

"I would hardly call genealogy boring," Freed huffed.

Evergreen just smiled and waved as she left the office. "So, what is it you wanted to discuss?" Laxus asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Bickslow's brother reached out to me yesterday."

"No shit," Laxus responded with a roll of his eyes.

Freed took a deep breath and continued. "Yes. I had asked him to compile what he knows about Acnologia and send it to me. There is something you may be interested in knowing."

Laxus suspected that Freed would look into the big black dragon as soon as possible given the recent events. No one had seen the creature since their disappearance on Tenrou but it was highly unlikely that the creature was dead. The thought of him still alive made Laxus shudder.

Freed was one of the few people who knew the true identity of Laxus' lacrima. Given that it was a highly prized artifact that Ivan had purchased on the black market, it was a well guarded secret that it resided within Laxus. If word got out, the authorities would swarm him and the Magic Council's research division might even try and get involved. Better to keep such information under wraps.

"So what's the news?"

"This may come as a shock to you, but did you know that the dragon Acnologia was once a human male, and if my research is correct, he was in fact, the pupil of the soul that dwells within you?" When they were all younger, Freed had insisted on researching Laxus' lacrima. It was through his direction that Bickslow was able to confirm that there was in fact, a soul living within Laxus' lacrima. Freed had pulled up all the old newspaper articles about the stolen artifact and discovered that it supposedly contained the soul of an Electric Dragon, long since passed.

Laxus looked at Freed with a straight face. "I did know that." The blond watched as the Rune Mage's eyes grew wide and then Laxus let out a laugh.

"A lot's happened since we've last had time to talk," Laxus explained. "But when I was in Bosco, Cristoff opened my third origin and taught me some techniques. I've been able to communicate with the soul inside of me."

"That's incredible!" Freed said, jumping out of his seat. "I must give you a list of questions for him."

Laxus lifted his hand and motioned for Freed to sit back down. His friend did and Laxus continued. "Not so simple. I was able to communicate freely during the Tenrou crisis but since being back home, I seem to have lost my connection. I suspect it might have had something to do with the urgency at the time. I likely need to work on the meditative exercises Cristoff taught me to be able to hear his voice clearly when not in adrenaline mode. And his name is Electrum, by the way."

"Who's name?"

"My dragon soul. His name is Electrum. And you are correct, he was the one who gifted Acnologia dragon slaying magic."

Freed began to chuckle and Laxus looked at him with furrowed brows. "I think this is the first time in our friendship that you have beat me on a research issue."

Laxus smiled. "Don't worry, I won't get used to it."

"Well, when you do reestablish your link, please let me know," Freed requested.

Laxus nodded his head before Freed excused himself the evening. Looking down at his watch, Laxus realized it was almost dinnertime and decided he better teleport home, himself.

. . .

It was a weird sensation for the man to come home to a house that actually smelled like a well cooked meal. It was an even weirder sensation to realize that someone was using his kitchen for more than just storing alcohol in the refrigerator.

"Hey," Laxus said as he walked into the kitchen.

Lucy turned around and smiled. "Hey yourself. Dinner's almost ready."

Laxus ventured into the fridge to grab himself a bottle of beer. Twisting the cap off, he took a swig and sat down at the table to relax. It took him several minutes to realize just how relaxed and at peace he felt watching Lucy. A true sense of calm came over him as he watched her move around the kitchen, putting their meals on plates and humming a little tune as she did so.

Turning around, she put a large plate of chicken, rice and vegetables in front of him. "Well, I don't think I've ever seen that face on you before," Lucy said with sparkle in her eye as she sat next to him at the table.

"What look?"

"You're literally grinning," she laughed.

"Am I?" Laxus said, trying to put his face back to his normal demeanor.

"Hey, stop that!" Lucy said with a frown, reaching out for his face. "I liked it. It was a good look."

Laxus rolled his eyes and let out a chuckle. "Thanks for making dinner." Lucy just smiled and the two ate in comfortable silence.

. . .

Laxus shifted on the couch as he watched Lucy fiddle with trying to get the lacrimavision to work. Dinner had been fantastic and he was finding it increasingly difficult to be around the woman and maintain control of his thoughts. He knew the Mating was pulling at him, trying to get him to finish what he had started. He wondered if Lucy felt the same pull as well.

"There, I think I got it to work!" Lucy said with pride as she walked back over to the couch. Lucy herself had been struggling as much as Laxus. Being around the hulking blond all evening had not been easy. She had been glad to get a bit of separation earlier in the day with Cana because she wasn't convinced that if she stayed in the house with Laxus the entire afternoon, that she'd be able to control herself.

"What are we watching?" Laxus asked, trying not to notice the fact that she was wearing micro pink shorts and a tank top that left little to the imagination.

"The Royal Tenenbaums!" Lucy exclaimed, like that was supposed to mean something to him.

"And what's it about, exactly?"

Lucy tapped her lip. She opened her mouth and then closed it again before finally saying, "I guess you could say it's about a dysfunctional family."

Laxus chuckled. "Like either of us don't have enough of that in our lives already."

Lucy frowned and turned to face the large blond. "This may be the wrong time to ask this, but I never got the specifics of what happened between you and your father." Lucy had heard the rumors around the Guild about Ivan, but she didn't know anything more than he was kicked out for hurting Laxus when he was just a boy.

Laxus ran a hand through his hair. "Wanting to trade bad father stories, huh? I'm pretty sure I've got you beat."

Lucy moved in closer to Laxus, waiting for any signs of resistance from him but he showed none. Lucy finally dared to crawl into his lap and he instinctively put his arms around her, feeling an overwhelming sense of calm take him. "You're safe with me."

Laxus sighed, letting his head fall against her and revelling in the scent of her hair. "You sure you want to know?"

"Only if telling will make you feel better," she responded instantly.

Laxus had to think about that. He'd carried the weight and the guilt of what had happened with his father with him for most of his adult life. Hell, he hadn't even found out until recently that the lacrima his father implanted contained an actual living soul. He doubted his father even fully knew what he had done.

But at the same time, the idea of sharing the weight with someone else, letting go of some of the burden of keeping what had happened a secret, was tempting. So Laxus took a deep breath, and proceeded to tell Lucy everything that had happened some twenty-two years ago.

Laxus recounted how his father had fallen into a deep depression after his mother had died in childbirth with him, how Laxus himself had never been married and it was suspected that that had something to do with his mother's death. He explained how his father had perverted what doctors had told him into thinking if his mother had been a mage, that she would have survived. So one night when he was still just a child, his father had implanted an illegal lacrima into his body that had been stolen out of scientific laboratory. "To this day, Gramps has made me swear to keep the fact that I have this lacrima inside me a secret. If it got out publicly, not only would they probably accuse our family of the theft, but I'd likely be hauled in for experimentation."

Lucy just sat there, stunned.

"Pretty fucked up, right?" Laxus chuckled softly, trying to break the silence.

"Oh my god, Laxus. I never knew," she said, moving in to hug him tightly.

Laxus relaxed into her hold and sighed, "You're the only one that does. I never even managed to tell Gramps what really happened that night. It was just," he sighed, "the betrayal. I think I understand his motives now. Or at least, I understand that he was still twisted up about mom, but to manipulate me into thinking I was receiving some gift, to make me actually ask for him to hurt me that way, it's," his words trailed off.

"It's totally fucked up," Lucy finished for him. "And I'm sorry you've been carrying that around in you. I promise I'll keep it safe," Lucy vowed, pulling back and looking into his eyes.

Laxus returned her gaze and before he could stop himself, he was moving forward, intent on capturing her lips with his. He succeeded but only briefly before Lucy pulled back. "Laxus, you're hurting, are you sure?"

"Lucy, I've never been more sure of anything in my life." As he said the words, he pulled her closer to him again so that they were forehead to forehead. His hands held her firmly against him. She pushed her lips back against his, pouring all her emotion into the kiss. It stayed gentle, nothing one might expect from the feral dragon slayer but, it was heartfelt and full of emotion. As the two of them worked their lips against one anothers, it was as if they were erasing all the doubts, fears and insecurities that had developed over the last eight years, opting instead to trust one another.

. . .

"I thought I told you to come alone." His voice was deep and his mood somber as he stepped out from the fog.

"What do you mean?" Cobra laughed nervously as the white-haired man approached. Despite their continued meetings and mutually beneficial change of information, the poison slayer still got oddly nervous in his presence. He never felt entirely safe around him.

"I mean, there's a woman standing not a mile away from this location, waiting for your return."

"You don't need to worry about her," Cobra said, throwing up his hands. "She's my Conquest."

Acnologia's lip curled slightly before he nodded his head in understanding. If the man had a good hold on his Conquest, there was no worry about her spilling the location of his home. "So, you have information for me?"

Cobra was always amazed that this fucker would pay him for things that could be found out by just watching the news, but hell, if the guy wanted to waste his money on him, who was he to stop him. "Yeah. Tenrou Island's returned. And all those fuckers everyone thought that crazy dragon blasted to ash, they're alive."

" _What?"_ Acnologia seethed at the news. "This must be some sort of mistake."

Cobra shrugged his shoulders, trying to play off how nervous he was. "Dunno what to tell you, but the entire group of 'em are back in Magnolia. I personally confirmed this." That part was kind of a lie. He saw them on television. "And none of them have aged a day."

"Plane shifting," Acnologia muttered under his breath.

"What was that?" Cobra said, cocking his head to the side.

"Nothing." Acnologia threw a bag of jewel in his direction, which Cobra caught with a smile. "Find out everything you can about their reappearance. Report back to me in two months' time."

 


	41. Silence

It'd been a month; an entire fucking month and he hadn't heard a peep out of his second soul. It was really getting to him. Laxus knew he'd be turning over with Guildarts soon. The man had indicated that he was feeling the wanderlust return and hoped Laxus was ready.

It was a little ahead of schedule but he was. But what weighed heavily on his mind was the fact that Acnologia was still out there somewhere. That dragon represented an incredible threat to the Guild and he knew in a short amount of time, he would be personally responsible for everyone's safety.

He let out a roar that echoed through the forest as he broke his attempt at meditating. Lucy ran outside to see what the commotion was, genuinely worried about the lightning slayer.

When she saw him standing there, completely unharmed but just throwing a temper tantrum, her eye twitched slightly. "What the absolute fuck, Laxus?"

"Not now," he said, a bit harshly, trying to get her to go back inside.

"Yes, fucking now," she responded, copping an attitude. "Don't think that you can just lose your temper, shout at the forest and storm off in a huff. We made a promise to one another so you better handle your shit so we can talk." She turned on her heel and headed into the house. Laxus was briefly mesmerized by the way her hips swayed in her short pink jean shorts. The back door to his house slamming broke him out of his trance and he began to pace to cool himself down.

He knew Lucy was right. The two had promised that they be open and honest with each other. After all, a lack of communication was what had led, in large part, to their botched Mating, an almost successful Conquest and another somewhat questionable Mating.

While they had agreed to just chill and see how things would play out, Laxus was finding that to be a hard task. He felt the pull to Lucy every single day. And it was more than just a physical pull; the Mating was like that. In order for it to even have gone so far, the two would have to be compatible in some regards. They had fallen into living together rather easily and if Laxus were being honest, he didn't want it to end.

But Lucy hadn't said anything to him about how she felt and he'd be damned if he forced her into something she wasn't ready for. So he was trying his best to "chill." He clenched and unclenched his fists a few times before he finally thought he had enough composure to go back inside.

He closed the door behind him a little harder than he intended. Lucy looked up from where she was reading a book on celestial navigation on the sofa to fix him with a stare. "You wanna share what's got you acting like Natsu?"

Laxus winced. It was an accurate assessment and he fucking hated to admit that. He heaved a heavy sigh and all but rolled onto the floor near Lucy's feet. "I haven't been able to communicate with Electrum since we awoke." Lucy stayed quiet and just let him talk it out. "I've been doing the meditation exercises like Cristoff taught me and I've been working on tapping into my third origin, but the fucking beast inside has stayed silent through it all."

"I'm sorry, Laxus. That really blows," she responded honestly.

Laxus bit back a bit of a grin. Lucy never pulled punches, it was one of the things he loved about her. A lot of other women would try and get him to cheer up or make suggestions but not her. She would listen and commiserate. She only offered advice if he asked for it. "Any ideas on what I should do?"

Lucy tapped her finger to her mouth for a few moments, trying to work through the problem. "I can definitely ask Grandpa Crux to do some digging. In the meantime, was there something about the way you contacted him last time that you aren't doing now?"

Laxus leaned his head against Lucy's leg. The physical contact with her often made him feel more at ease. "Other than not being in super fucking danger, you mean?"

"Yeah, that," she chuckled lightly. "But that can't be it. You told me Electrum said he would be there for you when you called him."

Laxus sighed. "Who the fuck knows anymore. Maybe I misunderstood him."

"It's possible, but highly unlikely. You told me that pretty quickly and were certain about what he had said. Look, I'll ask my spirit to help. In the meantime, try not to wake the forest from hibernation with your temper tantrums. Deal?"

Laxus squeezed her leg lightly and responded, "Deal."

Lucy tried not to show any indication of how he affected her. He had been doing this lately—touching her whenever he could. They weren't sexual advances or anything like that, just a yearning for a physical connection. But Lucy's mind was turning it into sexual fodder and she knew she needed to cool it.

The one thing the two hadn't fully discussed was the state of their Mating. Every time Lucy thought she might bring it up, she shied away. The last month of living with the man had shown her that she did want to pursue things with him further. Sure, Laxus was a total brute. He was brazen, brash and all brawn but he was also kind, thoughtful, and pretty messed up on the inside. She felt their connection growing and she knew it wasn't just because of the Mating.

She also knew that because of how messed up he currently was that if she said she wanted to pursue things further with him, he would do it for her, even if he'd rather not. They had talked about it at length, but he still felt like he owed the Guild something and had to make amends. She didn't want their relationship to be based on guilt. And so, she would wait. She would let him make the first move. Only then would she know for sure that his feelings were genuine.

They sat there for a few minutes, Laxus absently caressing Lucy's leg as she tried not to noticeably shiver from his touch. His hand began traveling a bit more north and Lucy panicked. "IIII guess I should go contact Crux," she said quickly, jumping up from her spot on the couch and bounding up the stairs to what was now her room.

Laxus sighed, "Yeah, okay," but she was already gone.

. . .

"Are you quite sure that's the reason?" Lucy asked again, wringing her hands.

"Mmmm, yes, quite sure," the elderly spirit said, slowly nodding off. "Just as I was," he stopped to yawn before resuming, "the first four times you asked."

"I just, well," she hesitated, "there's no other possible explanation?"

"Hmmm, didn't say that. But it's unlikely given the circumstances," Crux responded with another yawn.

"Thank you, Grandpa," Lucy finally said.

"Sorry it wasn't the answer you wanted," the spirit said before returning to his home.

Lucy quickly lunged for her Lphone and texted Cana. "What are you doing?"

"Is this a booty call?" came the almost-immediate reply.

"Yes," Lucy responded. She knew Cana. She also knew that if she wanted an immediate audience with her friend, this was the best way to get one.

"Knew you'd come around. Meet me at the Guild, we can start there and go all night ;)."

Lucy rolled her eyes and grabbed her purse, stuffing her phone into it. Bounding down the stairs she yelled a hasty goodbye to Laxus who was idly flipping through channels on the lacrimavision and was out the door before he had a chance to respond.

. . .

"So what you're telling me is that this isn't a booty call?" Cana gave Lucy a teasing look.

"I have a serious problem and I needed someone to talk to," Lucy almost whined.

"You could have just said that."

"We both know that this was the only guaranteed way to get you here immediately." Lucy gave her friend a knowing look.

"Touche. Okay, talk. What's got your panties in a bunch?"

"Right so, remember how I told you Laxus was having trouble talking to his second soul? Well, turns out, it's my fault!" Lucy breathed out.

"Your fault? How?"

"Our Mating. Or rather—our current half-mating."

"Jeez, you two haven't finished that up yet. I don't know how you could live with that man for a whole month and not have ridden him once. I mean seriously girl. Do you even have eyes? Or a vagina for that matter?"

"It's more complicated than that Cana and you know it. If we did, we risk completing the Mating. And yes, I do have eyes and staying off of him has been very difficult, thanks for rubbing it in."

"I'm an expert at rubbing things," Cana replied with a wink.

Lucy sighed. "Please focus."

"Alright, so half-mating, no talking, why?"

"As far as Crux can figure, if Laxus is resisting finishing the Mating, then he's rejecting his dragon soul. Right now, that just means that he can't communicate with Electrum, but," Lucy swallowed hard, "there's a possibility it could get worse if it continues."

"We're not going to even go there," Cana said, getting serious, "because that's not going to happen. What can be done? This didn't happen to him the first time, right?"

"It wasn't that long before I was Taken, which broke our bond. Plus he wasn't actively trying to note Mate me then." Cana nodded in understanding. "And besides, with us living together, the bond has only strengthened. I can feel it Cana. I thought maybe it would fade. That's what we were told would happen if we didn't complete the Mating. That our bond would fade and everything would go back to normal."

Cana scoffed. "Ha! The moment someone tells you anything will go back to normal run away from that person. They're clearly lying or an idiot. Nothing ever goes back to 'normal.' That's life. Shit happens, things change," she said in a matter of fact tone.

"Yeah well, I think it means that it's expedited this problem for him because he's resisting an even stronger pull to complete the Mating."

"Fuck."

"Yeah, I know right?"

Cana shook her head. "No sugartits. That's your answer. Fuck."

"It's not that simple, Cana," Lucy chided.

"Um, yes, it is. You two work well together. Not being together is killing him. Let me repeat that, _is killing him_. So to me, the solution is to be together. And I think you knew that was the answer all along," Cana said before crossing her arms to give Lucy an appraising look.

"I'm not going to trap a man into Mating with me!" Lucy said in exasperation. "If I tell him this, or tell him that I want to Mate the fuck out of him, he will do it because he feels like he owes me. Or at least I'll always wonder if that's the reason. I want to know for sure that he wants me. Not just because he thinks he has some debt to repay."

"Sounds like you need to seduce yourself a man," Cana said with a smirk.

"Huh?" Lucy was confused.

"Think about it. He's trying to resist you. And you don't want to tell him what's going on. So, put it all out there, and see if he makes a move. If he really wants you, at a certain point he won't be able to resist taking you. If you can get him to his breaking point, then you'll have your answer. And if he doesn't make his move, well then that might answer something for you as well."

Lucy had to hand it to her friend. She was making a lot of sense. This solution presented the best of both worlds. It gave Lucy the comfort in knowing that she wasn't guilt-trapping Laxus into Mating her. And if it turned out that he was still able to resist her advances, then she would consider getting her own place so the bond could weaken and fade.

"Okay, let's do it," Lucy said pumping her fist.

"But I thought you said this wasn't a booty call?"

. . .

"Damn, you two are still just hanging in limbo?" Gajeel asked as he took he swig from his beer. The two dragon slayers had come to a mutual understanding of one another lately. Laxus wouldn't go so far to call him a friend, after all Gajeel resisted the notion that he had any friends, but they shared a connection and similar past experiences unlike any others in the Guild.

"Yeah," Laxus lamented as he nursed his whiskey. "It's just that, I don't feel right making the final decision on this. If I say I think we should go for it, I have a feeling Lucy will agree."

"And what's so wrong with that?"

"After what I put her through, I don't really feel like it's fair to ask her to give her entire life over to me. Who knows what being the Mate of a dragon slayer entails. I just don't feel right about it."

Gajeel looked down from their perch on the second floor at a mess of blue hair and sighed in understanding. "I know what you mean."

"But resisting her is killing me man. Every single day it gets harder. I don't know what I'm going to do."

"And Zeus incarnate isn't talking?"

Laxus rolled his eyes at Gajeel's attempt to be witty. "His name is Electrum and no. He hasn't responded to me since the Awakening. I'm beginning to think I imagined the whole thing."

Gajeel shook his head. "Nah. You were doing too much shit you didn't know how to do. It makes sense. You'll figure it out," Gajeel patted his back as he took his empty beer glass down to the bar.

Laxus nodded and watched his fellow slayer descend the stairs. Gajeel had a threshold for conversation. It was about ten minutes and Laxus understood that. But still, he was somewhat disappointed at not getting some sort of guidance from the other man. With a heavy sigh, he lifted himself up and walked into his office, intent on trying to drown his angst in paperwork.

. . .

Cobra shivered in the cold air as he waited for his employer to arrive. He groaned as he moved his feet, attempting to fend off the cold. _"I would so much rather be home right now, ordering my Conquest to suck my dick, than to be here waiting on this guy's stupid late ass."_ Cobra chuckled to himself as he realized how good of a Conquest Minerva did make.

As herself, she was one annoying bitch. As his Conquest, she didn't do anything unless he instructed her to. It was epic and he was loving it. Had he known it would be like this, he would have Taken her ages ago. No more whining about not being his Mate after a good blow job. Just the blissful silence of a woman's soul he could control.

"Are you done daydreaming?" a stern voice cut through his thoughts.

"Hell, if you knew what I was thinking about, you'd want to join me in here," Cobra joked. He had managed to loosen up a bit around this guy, but not so much that he didn't still play it safe.

"I doubt it," his employer bristled. "I'm not vulgar like you."

Cobra threw up his hands in defeat. "Not arguing with you."

"That is wise. Do you have my information?"

Cobra took a piece of paper out of his cloak and handed it to the man. Acnologia unfolded it and nodded in approval. "That there's got a list of all the Guilds that will be participating in this year's Grand Magic Games. Fairy Tail's one of them."

"Good. I'd like you to infiltrate the games somehow. Perhaps join them yourself. I will need someone on the ground in order for this to work."

Cobra pondered the request for a minute. "My fantastic as fuck face is plastered all over the City on Wanted posters."

"Perhaps your Conquest then? Maybe you can put her to better use than just for your own sexual gratification."

"Yeah, I can make that work. She's already part of a pretty well known Guild that will be joining." Cobra paused, "What else would you use a Conquest for?"

Acnologia actually sighed a bit at the man's childlike way of thinking. "You have much to learn. Too bad I'm not your teacher."

"Again, no arguments."

Acnologia nodded, handing Cobra a satchel of jewels. "Make the arrangements for your Conquest to join the games." He handed Cobra another piece of paper. "These are your instructions for the next two weeks. I'll need all the information you can find out about that Gate. I trust you can handle these tasks?"

Cobra nodded, putting the folded paper into his back pocket. "No sweat."

Acnologia simply nodded before turning on his heel to walk into the midst that always occupied this area. Cobra knew better than to stick around. As far as he was concerned, the less he knew about this man the better. All that mattered to him was that he got paid.

"Now, I think I shall have that blow job," he grinned as he whistled for Cubelios to take him back home to his waiting slave.


	42. Jobs

Lucy wasn't following the plan. The plan had been simple. She would go into Laxus' office and try a bit of flirting. Cana would come in afterwards and interrupt, giving Lucy the opportunity to suggest that the pair go home so that they could be alone.

Lucy wasn't following the plan.

Laxus was sitting at his office desk, staring at a blank piece of paper, trying to distract himself from the constant pull he was feeling towards the woman downstairs. At this point, he could almost feel her through their tenuous bond and it was driving him increasingly crazy with not only lust but anxiety as well. It didn't help that official Guild correspondence was not his strong suit.

So lost in thought, he didn't notice his door opening slightly and Lucy entering the room. She took in the sight: Laxus in a skin tight black tee and dark jeans, hunched over his desk, looking like he wanted to commit murder on the page.

"What did that piece of paper ever do to you?" she couldn't help but kid.

Laxus almost startled at her voice. _"That's odd that I didn't notice her come in. God, I need to get my head on straight."_

"Uh, nothing," he said trying to regain his composure. "Just not good at this letter writing stuff and Guildarts has left it all to me."

Lucy quirked an eyebrow. Laxus not seeming like himself was giving her a weird boost of confidence. She had been so unsure of everything before that when Cana and her had agreed on the plan earlier, she had wanted to buy herself some time, which was why the pair had agreed on getting him home.

_"Great idea," Cana said, instantly adjusting to what, in her view, were Lucy's hangups. "So you'll go home first. That'll give you time to get in position and get everything ready."_

_"I don't know, Cana. I'm a little nervous about the whole thing. I'm not really the seducing type. In the past, guys have always just come on to me. I'm not even sure where to begin."_

_Cana scoffed. "That's easy. Just let him find you masturbating. He opens the front door and BAM! There you are on the couch, moaning his name. Girl, let me tell you, no guy has ever been able to resist that."_

_Lucy stood with her mouth gaping open. "I don't think—wait, you've done that before?" she asked incredulously._

_"Um, of course. But I only use it when the guy is being extra stubborn."_

_Lucy cleared her throat. "Yeah, I mean, I think it's great and all that you have that working for you. But it's not something I can see myself doing."_

_Cana grinned. She had a feeling Lucy wouldn't be able to handle something so strong. "No sweat. Just go into his office and flirt a little. I'll come in and provide the perfect excuse for you two to go home together. Think you can handle that?"_

_Lucy nodded her head. "Yeah, I think that should be fine." She hesitated. "What are you planning on doing?"_

_"Don't worry about that. Nothing bad, promise," Cana said with a wink. "Now go on!"_

But now that he was sitting here in front of her, tense and clearly wanting, her confidence began to return. "Mind if I take a look? I'm pretty good with a pen."

Laxus nodded. He watched in surprise as Lucy came around to his side of the desk, instead of sitting in the chair opposite him. He tried to keep a check on his composure but with her this close, he was finding it very difficult.

Lucy leaned over the desk as she took a look at the piece of paper. She knew her pink denim shorts left little to the imagination, and even less when she bent over like this. She covered a smirk and internally applauded herself as she caught Laxus' eyes shift to her backside when he thought she was lost in thought.

_"What has gotten into this girl?"_

Lucy let out a laugh that startled Laxus from his internal woolgathering. "You've got nothing written!"

Laxus rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, like I said, not my strong suit."

"Mind if I give it a shot?"

"Be my guest," Laxus responded, hoping he was keeping his voice even. Lucy picked up the pen and Laxus nearly gasped when she took a seat in his lap and moved the paper to begin writing. He closed his eyes, trying to reign in his dragon instincts, which were currently screaming at him to take his Mate and finish the Mating.

Lucy shifted this way and that on his lap, all but rubbing herself against him. He began taking deep breaths to try and keep his libido at bay. But as he inhaled fully, he caught the faintest hint of arousal emanating off of her. He tapped into their tenuous bond and sure enough, he could feel feelings of excitement, a bit of nervousness and a heavy douse of arousal.

Lucy herself was feeling her confidence grow with each passing moment. She had gotten herself trapped in a cycle of uncertainty and insecurity for the past month, which was so unlike her. She used to go after what she wanted and she was finally feeling like herself again. And bringing Laxus to the breaking point was a complete rush, full of nervous energy that was also, frankly, turning her on.

If she was being honest with herself, while she didn't have a dragon's soul inside of her, she definitely felt a pull to the man and had been resisting it all this time. Finally letting herself behave around him the way that she wanted to all this time was completely liberating.

She felt Laxus' hands grip her thighs tight while simultaneously feeling the growing of his manhood in his lap. God how she missed the feeling of him pressed up against her. After that one morning where they all but finished the Mating by accident, the two had put the breaks on sleeping in the same bed with one another. It had been hard. Both of them experienced nightmares on occasion. And they also occasionally broke their own rule but were cognizant about not giving into what they truly wanted to do.

Here, sitting on top of his lap, feeling him press up against her as he gripped her hips tightly almost had her getting off just from the anticipation. "Lucy," he breathed her name out in that deep sexy voice of his and she was completely unhinged.

Lucy was not following the plan.

She wrote something on the piece of paper in big letters and then purposely dropped the pen on the floor in front of them.

"Oops!" she exclaimed. "Dropped the pen. Let me grab it." Leaning down, her backside in the air basically right in front of Laxus she internally applauded herself for going full Cana in this situation. She heard Laxus' breathing become audible and she shivered as his hand moved up her bare thigh slowly. "Can't quite reach it," she said, climbing completely under the desk.

She counted to three before turning around. She wanted to give Laxus enough time to read what she had written on the piece of paper in front of him.

Laxus would never forget the words written in bold letters across the page. " _I Want To Blow You_." He looked down to see Lucy under his desk, between his legs and biting her lower lip. She looked back up at him with a question on her face and Laxus unhinged. Throwing his head back he nearly shouted, "Yes, Lucy. Gods yes!"

Lucy didn't need any further invitation. She had pictured this very moment in her wettest of dreams a few times now, Laxus above her, her under his desk sucking him off with abandon. It was perfect.

He was freed within seconds, his erection springing out of its prison into Lucy's waiting hands. She didn't waste any time, starting at the base and licking her way to the tip with utmost enthusiasm, moaning as she did so. Laxus matched her own noises with one of his own, gasping out her name at the amazing feeling of her as she finally took him fully into her mouth.

He looked down and implanted the image of his cock deep in Lucy's mouth into his mind. He wanted to remember this moment if things somehow went back to the way they had been. She began pressing her tongue to the underside of his shaft, moving it back and forth. Laxus wanted to hold out longer, wanted to enjoy the feeling of this woman on his cock for as long as possible but her schooled movements were breaking him.

"Hey Lucy!" Cana's voice rang clear through their lust. Lucy halted her movements, keeping Laxus in her mouth and Laxus hastily pulled the desk closer to him, shielding their activities from open view, sending up thanks that his desk had a privacy panel on the back and sides.

"Not a good time, Cana," Laxus responded, trying to keep his voice level. If Laxus had looked down, he would have seen a devious glint in Lucy's eye as she started to slowly move her tongue against his shaft. The man sucked in a breath.

Cana stopped and looked around, clearly confused. "Thought I saw Lucy come in here. Wanted to talk to her about something."

Laxus' hand was resting on his knee and Lucy reached for it, directing his callused fingers down the front of her tank top. Laxus cupped one of her ample breasts on instinct, thumbing her nipple and Lucy let out a soft moan before she was able to suppress it.

Cana's eyes widened in understanding before an amused look took up residence on her face. "I think I know what's going on."

"Cana," Laxus said with almost a growl as Lucy started bobbing her head slowly now.

"Well I was going to ask Lucy if she wanted to go lingerie shopping but," and now she walked towards the desk and rapped her knuckles on it, "don't worry about answering babe, I know you've got your mouth full." Cana snickered at her own joke and Laxus rolled his eyes, still caught between amazing pleasure and complete annoyance.

"Well, you kids have fun. And remember, don't be a fool, wrap his tool!" she shouted with a laugh before closing the door behind her.

Lucy ignored her friend's exit, completely caught up in what she was doing. She could feel Laxus' arousal and it was melding with hers. She was giving herself to it completely and wanted so much more from this man than his cock in her mouth.

Laxus leaned down, pulling her off of him and smashed his lips against hers. She straddled him in his large leather chair, reaching her hands down to stroke his erection as their tongues danced against one another's. His hands came underneath her shirt, his calluses scratching her smooth skin on their ascent before he finally cupped both breasts. His thumbs played against her nipples and Lucy broke their kiss to lean back and moan at his touch.

One hand left her supple globes to push itself into her waistband, fingers digging deep into her junction to rub between her thighs. Lucy was panting, completely high off this man that she had denied herself of for the past month.

That's when he said the words she had been waiting to hear. "Lucy, I want you. All of you! I want you to be mine!"

Lucy sat up straight and looked into his beautiful gray eyes. She felt through their bond and she knew he was being sincere. He really did want her as his Mate. "Yes, Laxus. I want to be yours and you to be mine. Finish what we started."

Laxus stood up and Lucy wrapped her legs around his waist. Without even bothering to fix their clothing first, Laxus teleported them back to the house immediately. The two landed in their living room and Lucy smashed her lips against his again. He walked them backwards, laying her down on the couch and took a moment to remove his pants before climbing on top of her.

He pressed his erection into her soft curves and she moaned at the feeling. Even through her clothing, this man on top of her just felt right. When he pulled back, he looked at her. "You really mean it?"

Giving him her most sincere look back, she nodded her head. "Yes, Laxus. I want to be your Mate."

Laxus kissed her again, his tongue invading her mouth before he pulled back. "Then we do this right. I'm going to make it everything it was supposed to be from the beginning. Tomorrow."

Lucy bit her lip. Leave it to Laxus to show at the most unexpecting times that the man had a romantic streak. "And tonight?"

"I think we can manage to have some fun without Mating to each other, don't you?"

Lucy didn't respond with words. Tomorrow would be about love, but tonight was all about lust. Lucy all but tore the man's shirt off his body so she could feel his taut skin under her fingers. Laxus did the same to her, freeing her breasts. Within seconds he was on them, sucking at them and taking their rosy peaks into his mouth. He circled his tongue around each one and Lucy moaned at the contact.

As she arched her back, his hand traveled down her exposed torso to unbutton her denim shorts. Laxus' skilled hands made quick work as he pulled the material and thong off her body in one smooth stroke. She gasped as his hand immediately cupped her sex, pressing his callused fingers against her soft folds. His name began to form on her lips as he began to play with her, his fingers moving erratically to tease her but not truly giving her what she wanted.

Lucy began to beg, the words forming briefly on her lips before turning into intense moans. "That's it, Lucy, beg for what you want."

The blonde's eyes opened wide at Laxus' language but it turned her on more than she cared to admit. "I want to come for you."

Laxus smirked, continuing to rub his hand against her sex. He sucked one of her beautiful peaks into his mouth, swirling it with his tongue before pulling back to say, "Tonight you're going to ride my fingers but tomorrow this tight cunt of yours will be on my cock more than it's off. Do you understand me?"

Lucy nodded her head, biting her lip at his commanding tone. True to his word, his fingers entered her and she leaned her head back and let out a noise half way between a gasp and a moan. He knew just where to press to drive her crazy and she began to breathe deeply, drawing the sexual energy upwards, increasing her pleasure.

Laxus could see the impending signs of her release and just before he pushed her over the edge, he withdrew his hand. Lucy opened her eyes in confusion and Laxus was on top of her in an instant. Kissing her, he drew back to say "Sit on my face, Lucy. I want you to come all over my tongue." With those words, he flipped them around so that she was straddling his head, supporting herself by the armrest of the couch.

Laxus' tongue stretched out to lick her womanhood and she shivered. His hands played against her skin, alternating between rubbing her clit and caressing her breasts. Lucy began to move, slowly at first before increasing in speed as the feeling of his tongue on her was bringing her to new highs. Within seconds she was back to her fever pitch. Laxus gripped her ass tightly with his hands and when his tongue entered her, her entire body froze as pleasure welled inside of her.

Breathing the energy upward, she rode the high for as long as she could before she felt herself slowly start to descend. Laxus was nearly ready to come from watching her and the taste of her release on his tongue had him harder than ever. Unable to wait until she completely came off her high, he flipped them back over and removed his boxers. He positioned Lucy on the edge of the sofa, her head hanging just off the armrest and him standing over her.

Bringing his cock to her lips he said, "Lucy, I want to see my cock in that hot mouth of yours." From here, he had the perfect view of her beautiful, naked and blushing body.

Lucy smiled, still delirious from her orgasm and she wrapped her lips around Laxus' member. "Fuck," the man breathed out as he started to move, slowly fucking her mouth. Her tits bounced each time he pounded into her and she took his entire length without complaint. Placing his hands on her breasts, he lost himself in his rhythm. When Lucy reached above her to caress his sack he lost it, the need too great. Pushing himself deep into her mouth he released down her throat what felt like a month's worth of pent up sexual energy.

When he finally opened his eyes again, he withdrew from her gently and she gave him a hazy smile. He walked into the kitchen briefly to get her a glass of water. Bringing it back, she sat up and took it with a look of gratitude. Drinking it down she placed the glass on the table in front of her and stretched out on the sofa.

Laxus moved to sit down beside her, the two still without their clothing and she instantly curled up against him. Then she spoke words Laxus never thought he'd hear from a woman. "I love you."

 


	43. Posturing

Ivan sent another of his shikigami dolls zooming at the man in front of him, the paper cutting him in a flurry so quickly he couldn't even defend against the attack. He fell to the floor, bleeding profusely as the Guildmaster stood over him calmly. "Do you think you'll misunderstand my request this time?"

Erigor watched as Ivan nudged the man harshly with his boot. It'd been several years since he'd finally made contact with his father, Ivan Dreyar, and joined the Raven Tail Guild. Erigor had worked his way up to second in command on his own merits. Ivan didn't believe in weakness and he wasn't going to give the weather mage any handicaps.

But Erigor didn't care. All he wanted was to prove to his father how capable he was and that he could stop this ridiculous quest to have Laxus return to him. He already had a son, why was he so intent on some fucking fairy?

"I understand, Sir. I'll be sure that you and your Guild are registered under an alias."

"And?" Ivan prodded, hovering the paper doll dangerously close to the man's face.

"And, I'll be sure that a solo fight between you and Laxus is arranged somehow," the man quaked out.

Ivan leaned down and patted the man on the head. "See, that wasn't so hard. Not sure why we had to go over it all a second time, but maybe you were just confused the first, was that it?" The man nodded his head slightly, clearly in pain from all the cuts on his body. "Right, well, now you know what to expect if things don't go as planned. See you in a month, Chapati."

Ivan waved to Erigor and his son fell smoothly into line. They walked casually out of the announcer's house, Ivan taking care of cloaking them both in an illusion to obscure their identities. "I've got a proposition for you," Erigor addressed his father as they walked.

"Continue," Ivan responded as they turned towards where they had left their vehicle.

"The grand magic games. The fairy tail guildhall will be without its strongest members. Instead of me participating, let me go to the guild and do some reconnaissance. I may be able to locate this weapon you've spoken of so we can better concentrate our efforts."

"Laxus will be joining with us in a month's time. When he does, he'll be able to tell us everything we need to know," Ivan responded coolly.

"You don't know that," Erigor protested. He had spoken to Flare about this. He didn't want to participate in the games. The entire purpose of them being there was to recruit Laxus. He refused to play second chair to some vision of a son Ivan built up in his head.

"Laxus is smart. He'll jump at the chance to join with us."

Erigor shook his head. "What I mean is, you don't know if he knows anything about this weapon. You said it yourself, Makarov keeps it hidden from everyone at the Guild."

They reached the car and Ivan paused a moment to consider what his son was saying. "You do have a point. That old bastard is so power hungry, it would be just like him to deprive Laxus the same way he deprived me." Erigor stayed silent, letting his father work through his words. He didn't want to seem too eager. "Fine, you will not join the Games. Instead, you will infiltrate the Fairy Tail Guildhall and find out what you can about Makarov's secret weapon. We will sit down at some point so I can tell you everything I know."

Erigor cracked a small smile. "Thank you, father. I think this is a wise decision."

Ivan raised his brow before opening his door. "We'll see, won't we?"

Erigor let the look of disdain flash across his face but only after his father had gotten into the vehicle.

. . .

Cobra watched with a smirk as his Claimed wrapped her lips around his cock and began sliding up and down his length. Her tongue wrapped around his girth as she worked and he closed his eyes and let his head fall back. Watching Minerva give him head was okay, but imagining Lucy's lips on his dick was what really kept him hard.

He imagined it was the blonde working his tool instead of his current Claimed and he groaned. Opening his eyes, still keeping his Lucy's beautiful face in his mind, he grabbed a fistful of Minerva's hair and pulled her off his length. Turning her around, he raised himself up on his knees and pushed her harshly into the bed.

Feeling up the inside of her thighs, he met her folds and roughly shoved his fingers into her depths. "Yes, Master!" she cried out and Cobra smacked her ass harshly.

"I didn't say you could speak, Slave." Minerva stayed silent and Cobra liked it that way. Her voice didn't sound anything like his Lucy's so when she talked, it ruined his fantasy. Readjusting his mind, he pictured his precious Lucy before him, ass up in the air waiting for him.

Thrusting into her he moaned her name. "Gods, yes, Lucy!" He called out her name over and over again as he fucked his Claimed. Minerva didn't mind, not that she minded much these days given that the Conquest bond had full control over her.

Cobra shoved her further into the pillows as he continued to plow into her from behind. She started to feel lightheaded due to a lack of air and just before she lost her senses, her Master came, pulsing into her with a groan of Lucy's name and released his grip on her back.

Minerva gulped air quickly before falling onto the bed, completely unconscious. Cobra withdrew from the woman and let her fall down disgracefully, looking at her naked body with some disdain. It's not that Minerva was unattractive physically, it's just that she wasn't his precious Lucy.

He watched as her body started to convulse and he cursed himself slightly for losing control. He let the antidote start to well up inside of him, which cued his second soul. _"You really need to stop fucking this bitch, you know that right?"_

 _"I know,"_ Cobra responded flatly. With what little strength he had, he rolled over and bit into Minerva's neck, pushing the antidote through his fangs and into her system. Her breathing, which had become increasingly shallow, started to even and her tremors stopped.

Exhausted, Cobra rolled back over, intent on sleeping off the side effects. But Rancidus had other plans. _"As much as I hate you, I don't want to spend the next hundred years buried in your hollowing out husk. Stop fucking this girl. Claim someone more compatible or—"_

Cobra cut him off. _"If you say find your Mate, I will fucking never let you live it down. You, telling me to find my Mate. Fuck that noise."_

_"You assclown, I did find a Mate when I was living. It was utilitarian. She made my magic stronger and few knew about our bond. And plus, I had a few Conquests because I'm fucking awesome."_

_"You always told me you weren't interested in taking a Mate and you killed the first guy that hosted you because he took a Mate."_

_"First of all, I lie all the time. And secondly, that part's true. But it was less about his Mate and more about him as a person. I really disliked him. He needed to die. He also refused to take any Conquests."_

_"Didn't know you could have a Mate and a Conquest at the same time,"_ Cobra responded, too tired to attempt his usual bad attitude.

" _Why the fuck couldn't you? What, you think like Mating turns off your dick or something? Um, no. You can still stick your pecker into whatever hole you wish."_

" _Good to know_ ," Cobra yawned, starting to fall asleep.

" _Hey! Mother fuckly! We're not done talking about this!"_

 _"Kay,"_ Cobra said before falling into such a deep sleep not even Rancidus' whining could wake him.

When he did wake, he found Minerva in the room, sitting silently at the chair by the side of the bed. He narrowed his eyes and looked around. She was standing guard, which he had ordered her to do while he slept off any antidotes. "How long have I been asleep for?"

"A whole day, Master," she responded flawlessly.

"Have you eaten in that time?"

"No, Master."

Cobra sighed. "Go make us something."

"Yes, Master," Minerva responded, standing up, still naked from their tryst and began towards the kitchen.

"Wait." She stopped the moment Cobra said the words and he could feel his dick getting hard. Being able to order the woman around like this gave him pleasure to no end. "Before you do, you will take care of my needs, then you will clean yourself up and then you will make us food, do you understand?"

"Yes, Master," she said, climbing back into the bed. She began to stroke his length and Cobra sighed at the feeling. Within minutes, she was wiping ropes of his release off her face in the guest bathroom while he turned the shower on in his own room.

_"Maybe you're right. Maybe, I should take another Conquest. Someone more compatible to my magic. But dammit, I want Lucy back."_

_"Who's to say she's not compatible. She wasn't too weakened by the poison in your magic. Nothing like this current find. It's worth the attempt. Besides, I still can't believe how much you botched that Conquest. I'll tell the story of your failure to all my future hosts. You'll go down in history as the man who couldn't fuck his own Conquest," Rancidus bellowed with laughter and Cobra rolled his eyes._

_"Yeah, well, it's not like you helped the situation, asswad."_ Cobra sighed as the hot water ran over his caramel skin and he slicked his hair back against his head.

" _Not here to hold your hand, fairy princess," Rancidus quipped. "Your fuck ups are on you."_

_"Yeah, well, the Games are in a month. And Fairy Tail's already announced their participants. My Lucy is one of them."_

_"I look forward to watching you finally lay this b."_

Cobra sighed and scrunched his face slightly. " _That's…really weird. You watch?"_

_"I'm fucking infused into your soul, dickweed. What was weird was having to sit through all those times you masturbated in your teenage years before you had enough control over your magic to talk to me."_

_"Not something I needed to know."_

_"Oh yes, it was. Now you feel the pain I felt."_

Cobra shook his head and laughed slightly. Rancidus was an asshole but so was he. The two worked well together. By the time Cobra exited the shower, Minerva was there, waiting with a towel. Cobra raised an eyebrow. "Food prepared?"

"Yes, Master. It is downstairs at the table."

"Good girl," Cobra responded, patting her on the head. Minerva didn't respond, she just continued to have that somewhat dead look in her eyes and he wondered to himself why he praised her some days. Throwing on a fresh pair of boxers, he walked downstairs to his breakfast and he and Minerva sat in silence as they ate. "You'll be joining the Grand Magic Games," he announced. "They begin in a month."

"Yes, Master," she parroted.

Cobra sighed. _"This whole robot shit is getting kind of old. I like being able to order her around, but she's become completely devoid of any personality."_

_"That's on you."_

_"What the fuck does that mean?"_

Rancidus audibly sighed _. "How did you make it this far in life with so little intelligence?"_

 _"It wasn't because I had someone helping me out, that's for fucking sure,"_ Cobra responded with a bit of ire.

_"She responds to your level of control. Just, ease up a bit. In a few days, she'll bounce back to a bit of herself."_

Cobra nodded. _"Good, cause I'll be sending her back to her Guild for the Games. Good thing her father's such a bag of shit he didn't care that his daughter's been missing all this time."_

_"A girl with daddy issues. You sure know how to pick 'em."_

Cobra scoffed. _"Like yours were so much better."_

_"Maybe one day I'll tell you about my Conquests."_

_"Damn, you almost sounded normal for a second."_

_"I can't wait until you die,"_ Rancidus responded dryly.

 _"Don't hold your breath, you overgrown snowglobe._ " Cobra turned his thoughts back to the upcoming Games. Gathering intelligence for Acno and reclaiming Lucy? This month couldn't be over soon enough.


	44. Mating

It was so unlike him but he couldn't help but wrap his arm around the girl lying next to him.

"So, did you talk to him?" she asked.

"I did," he responded, not giving anything away.

"And?" she encouraged.

Erigor smiled. "It worked. He's allowing me to investigate the Fairy Tail Guildhall while the games are underway."

Flare smiled and kissed the side of his chest. "I'm glad. You should be the number one son, afterall. You've been the most loyal to him."

"Careful what you say aloud for now," Erigor warned. He wouldn't put it past his father to be keeping tabs on him, even on his own time in his own apartment.

Flare nodded her head in understanding. "I've been told that I'll be taking your place at the games."

"Is that so?" Erigor replied with a raised brow. Odd that his father would replace Flare with him on the team right after the two started becoming more serious. Perhaps it was all in his head. No one knew that the two were sleeping together—at least they thought so.

"Be careful. I don't know everything father has planned, but I do know it will be somewhat dangerous."

"I'm not worried," Flare said a bit flippantly. "I can certainly handle myself."

Erigor smirked. "That I do know. And love to watch." Flare couldn't help but smile as the man climbed overtop of her, letting his fingers trail down her overflowing chest. She sighed as he replaced his fingers with his tongue, letting the muscle make small circles around her peaks.

Flare hadn't expected their tryst to last more than a romp or two. She had seen Erigor and the way he cast women aside in the past. So when he continued to return to her, and even to stay through the night and invite her to his apartment, she couldn't help but wonder what she had done right. But as his fingers moved further down her body to start playing with her lower lips, she lost all ability for coherent thought, focusing only on his actions.

It never took long to get Flare warmed up. Within minutes, Erigor was sliding himself inside, the wonderful sounds of the girl moaning beneath him filling his walls. Being distracted as he was, he failed to hear the small paper doll flutter out of his slightly opened window.

. . .

Lucy awoke. Looking around, she found herself in Laxus' bed for the first time in what felt like forever. Their tension had grown to an all time high and Lucy was actually proud of herself for pushing them over the edge. She stretched her arms high over her head, loving how spacious the bed was—that is until she realized the bed was too spacious. Looking around, she didn't see Laxus anywhere.

"Laxus?" she called his name and heard a response from downstairs. Looking around, she grabbed one of his white tees and threw it on to cover her nakedness before heading downstairs. She stood at the entrance to the kitchen for a minute, watching him make coffee, before he finally looked up at her. "Hey," she said simply.

He smiled, something that didn't happen all too often. "Hey." He arched a blond eyebrow. "Nice shirt. Looks familiar."

Lucy laughed lightly and hugged herself. "So comfy."

Laxus arched a finger and Lucy ran to him, jumping up to straddle him. He caught her, hiking her up higher on his large frame before leaning his head forward to capture her lips. When the two broke he set her down on the counter, still pressed between her legs. "Sleep okay?"

"Better than ever," she giggled as Laxus began planting kisses down the side of her neck. She gasped as he began to nip lightly at the junction of her neck and shoulder. Suddenly he pulled away and she pouted slightly.

He touched his finger to the bottom of her chin. "Don't you worry, more where that came from. I just think we should get some food before I spend the rest of the day fucking you."

Lucy couldn't help but feel the area between her legs dampen further but consented as Laxus handed her a mug full of warm coffee. "So, what's going on today?"

Laxus smirked. "Other than riding you so hard that you can't walk tomorrow?"

"Yeah, other than that," Lucy said cheekily before taking a sip of her coffee.

"Promised Guildarts I'd get him the finalized lists for the Grand Magic Game teams," Laxus responded, pouring himself a cup.

"Oh," Lucy replied in a somewhat defeated tone.

Laxus furrowed his brow. "Oh? What's with the sad face?"

"Nothing," Lucy said, trying to brush it off.

"Like hell it's nothing," Laxus responded in an almost growl. "Talk."

Lucy sighed and put down her coffee. "It really is nothing. It's just that, I always wanted to take part in the games but I know there are stronger members than me that deserve the spots. It's fine, I'll just wait another year or five or whatever," she said, throwing up her hands in frustration.

Laxus arched an eyebrow. "Now that we're done with the mini tantrum," Lucy stuck her tongue out at him, "I was going to tell you that it was actually Guildarts who put the initial lists together and your name was on them." Lucy's eyes widened. "There's so much more that goes into picking teams than pure strength. If pure strength was the only criterion, myself, Guildarts, Erza and Gajeel would be on a team, and we all know how well that would work out."

Lucy giggled. "I would _pay_ to see you four try and work together."

Laxus sauntered back up to her on the counter. "Oh yeah? Just how much would you be willing to put on the table?"

Lucy's eye twinkled with mischief. "What would it take?" Lucy shivered as she felt Laxus hot breath against first her neck before finally her ear. He whispered something to her and her eyes widened before she smiled, the man sucking her lobe into his mouth briefly before pressing a kiss to the nape of her neck. "I might be able to arrange that."

As Lucy said the words, Laxus growled low and pressed himself against her spread legs. She could feel his heavy erection against her core and she almost moaned at what she knew was coming. She pushed on his chest. "Go take care of business. Then meet me upstairs."

Laxus captured her lips, running his tongue along her seam before finally letting go with an "okay." Lucy smiled as Laxus took a step back, finishing the last of her drink before hopping off the counter. She watched as Laxus gave her a knowing smirk before leaving the kitchen towards his first floor office. She winked at him as he turned back to look at her.

Laxus closed his office door behind him, not trusting himself to control his instincts that were all but screaming at him to go back to Lucy. He thought back to the night before, with her on the sofa, looking up at him in her hazy state, admitting that she loved him. He'd been shocked and his answer in response was less than romantic.

_"Honestly, Lucy, you don't have to say that. After everything that's happened, I don't deserve that."_

_"Would you shut up with all that," she snipped back, the fire showing in her eyes. "Love isn't something that people deserve or don't deserve. It's a thing that just happens. And we're circling the drain with all this guilt and quite frankly, I'm tired of it. Can't we just—"_

_Laxus cut her off, capturing her lips with his. "You're right. About everything. And I love you too."_

"Fuck," he breathed, letting his hand slide across his face. He certainly had not thought that any of this would happen when he decided to respond to Lucy's match on Finder.

He closed his eyes, reaching for his inner soul, hoping that somehow Electrum might speak to him, reassure him that he was about to do the right thing.

He loved her—how could he not. But was that really enough?

_…Yes…_

Laxus stopped dead in his tracks. He reached back inside him, hoping he might hear the voice he had missed hearing for so long one more time. Silence still. Did he imagine it? He must have…

He put the feelings out of his head. Walking to his desk, he finalized the lists for the Grand Magic Games. He really had been honest with Lucy when he said she had been selected for a team in her own right. He had some misgivings about himself not being on her team, but Guildarts, who was more perceptive than he let on, reminded him that Lucy wouldn't like it if Laxus turned into an "overprotective, make-her-sit-indoors-all-day, type of guy, boyfriend, fuck buddy, whatever you two are to one another." Laxus had sighed but realized the older man had a point.

Signing the bottom of the two lists, he scanned them into his computer before emailing them off to Guildarts.

. . .

Upstairs, Lucy shed her clothes and hopped into the spray of the shower. She kept replaying what had happened to her and Laxus the night before over and over again in her mind. Hearing him say that he loved her felt right. She certainly did not think that accidentally swiping right on his picture would have led to all this. And she also did not even realize that she loved him until she had heard Grandpa Crux tell her that the half-Mating was hurting him.

The panic that had welled up inside her when she found out that rejecting the call of the Mating when such a strong bond had formed between them could actually kill Laxus shocked her. It was more than just a concern for his well being, it was also the realization that she needed him in her life. It was the moment it all fell into place for her.

She turned at the sound of the bathroom door squeaking and smiled as Laxus stepped into the spray with her. If it weren't for how large the shower was, there was no way the two would have fit. He slid in next to her and didn't even give the girl a chance to say anything before he cupped the back of her neck and was pulling her naked form flush against his body. Lucy melted into the kiss, trusting Laxus to take the lead.

The hulking blond pushed Lucy against the shower wall. She gasped as the cold tile hit her fevered skin. Laxus used the opportunity to push his tongue deeper into her mouth and Lucy sighed at the contact.

Lucy wrapped her arms around his neck and began kissing him back with everything she was worth. Reaching down, she began to stroke his growing member and the man nearly sighed into her mouth. The feel of her playing with his cock was something he never wanted to forget. She did one better, falling to her knees before sucking his tool deep into her warm mouth. Laxus sighed, letting the warm water wash over both of them. Connected the way they were, the water almost seemed to wash away his doubts and insecurities as she continued to work him from base to tip.

Watching her suck him off was too much—he knew he wouldn't last. Leaning down, he brought her back to standing, pushing her legs apart with his large hand before tracing the edge of her lower lips with his fingers. She shivered at the contact, her eyes pleading with him to plunge into her but he waited. He continued to tease her until she was at her limit before finally pushing his fingers into her depths.

It felt amazing, his fingers deep in her core. She needed so much more than his fingers right now but he still worked her expertly, until she was nearly panting his name. He captured her lips for a deep kiss and she drank him in. He sucked hickies into her neck, making his way ever closer to her ear before saying, "are you sure?" His instincts were driving him; he knew what he needed to do and he needed her full consent.

Lucy's brown eyes gazed into his stormy ones and when she said "yes," he could tell she did so with no reservations. Any lingering doubts he had at that moment were extinguished as he allowed the Mating to take control of him. He trusted his instincts to do what was right; after all, when he let logic control, things had turned out pretty bad.

He dove back in. Scales began to form on his body before his fangs lengthened. Working his way from her collar bone up, he simply touched them to her Mating mark and Lucy went hazy. She began to move by instinct rather than by thought, so much so that she didn't even gasp when lightning began to arc around them.

Without breaking contact, she reached her hand forward, turning off the shower. Laxus growled at her before grabbing her by the waist. Lifting her up, they were in the bedroom before she had a chance to catch her breath and he was on her, pushing his slick body into hers.

She moaned as his length filled her—it was what she had wanted for so long and had been deprived. Her body arched involuntarily as she tried to push her body against him more. His movements were feral and rough but at the same time, she wanted it that way.

She was screaming his name within seconds, feeling his member sliding against her walls and his hands roaming her body. Lucy lost all senses, feeling only the rough scales of Laxus against her smoother skin and the rhythm of him pumping in and out of her. Reaching around her waist, Laxus effortlessly flipped them over, allowing her to ride him.

Lucy wasn't aware of anything except the feel of the man beneath her. The lightning that surrounded them wasn't hurting her and as he brought his hands up to cup her bouncing breasts, the feel only drove her closer to her edge. As she began to feel her climax, breathing the sensations through her deeper and deeper, she instinctually placed both hands on Laxus' chest.

She thought he was saying something but her senses were muddled. Concentrating on reaching her high, she slammed herself on top of him as deeply as possible, screaming his name in ecstasy. Her walls clenching his thick member tightly must have sent Laxus over the edge too, because as soon as she started to regain her senses, she looked down to see the man throw his head back and scream her name out as his member pulsed his own end.

It hit her suddenly and unexpectedly—Lucy fell forward onto Laxus without any grace, losing consciousness. Laxus certainly would have caught her, if he himself hadn't also lost awareness as soon as he crashed over his own edge.


	45. Conversations

“God, this feels amazing!” the girl nearly screamed as she ground her hips against the mans tongue laying beneath her.  Grasping the headboard, she continued to pick up her pace until she was panting.  As her movements began to falter, she felt her body being lifted and turned over by strong arms.

“My turn,” the voice husked. As he kissed her, she could taste herself on his lips but she didn’t shy away from it.  His hands reached down between them roughly, separating her legs before thrusting himself deep inside her.

She moaned as he pounded into her small frame.  He could feel the remnants of her high still crashing around him as he fucked her harshly. “Fuck,” he swore as he pulled out swiftly, letting his seed spill across her chest.

His climax felt amazing—much better than when Minerva serviced him.  He figured he would need to be quick about wiping the girl off before his cum burned her skin but as he looked down, he was amazed to see the girl, staring straight back at him.

She let her fingers run through the liquid, bringing it up to her mouth sensually to taste it before moaning.  “Fuck, you taste good,” she exclaimed.  “Never enjoyed having a man’s release on me before today.”

Cobra couldn’t quite understand it.  Why wasn’t her skin burning from his poison, why wasn’t she passing out from tasting it? He couldn’t understand it.

She giggled. “What, never seen a girl do something like this before?” there was an evil glint in her eye. “Seems like you don’t get around much.”

But Cobra didn’t hear her words; his mind was following his own thoughts, trying to make sense of what he was seeing, or rather, not seeing.  And then an incredible feeling came over him.  He vaguely heard the girl’s gasp of surprise followed by laughter followed by moaning as he dove between her spread legs, and plunged elongated fangs to the inside of her thigh.

When the haze had finally cleared, the girl was giving him a satisfied look before saying, “Come on, let’s get into the shower.”  Cobra nodded his head, following the girl into the small bathroom attached to their hotel room.  “Besides, didn’t you want to ask me about my old guild? I remember you saying something about that before I proposed us fucking.”

Cobra smirked.  “I do want to ask you about Fairy Tail, but how could I pass up such an offer from you, Mickey?”

The brunette laughed, throwing her head back slightly before Cobra chased her into the spray of the hot water.

. . .

 Cobra stretched his arms over his head, sighing as he did so as he made his way back home.  He hadn’t felt this good in a long time.

 _“Let me step in and ruin this for you, then,”_ Rancidus cackled internally.

 _“I don’t think even your dumb ass could ruin how good my mood is right now,”_ the slayer shot back.

_“Wanna know why you feel so good?”_

Cobra rolled his eyes.  _“I don’t need a sex talk from you, thanks.  I know how the whole thing works.”_

 _“Doesn’t seem like it,”_ his inner soul snorted.

Cobra relented.  _“What is it you want to tell me?”_

_“You sure you want to know?”_

_“You know, if I could find a way, I swear I would gouge you out of my chest,”_ Cobra said in an irritated tone.

Rancidus scoffed.  _“No you fucking wouldn’t.  My magic is cool as fuck.  What would you be without me? A guy with a whole in his chest who can eavesdrop on peoples’ feelings.”_

 _“Just tell me already,”_ Cobra said, starting to feel his mood slip ever so slightly.

 _“Congratulations! It’s a Mate!”_ his inner soul cheered in a mocking tone.

 _“Wait, what?!”_ Cobra stopped dead in his tracks.

_“That girl. The one you just bit on her thigh.  You just started the Mating with her.  Overall good choice.  Feisty, a bit of a bitch, and willing to give head.  I hate to say it, but you did pretty good.”_

_“Wait---WHAT?!”_ Cobra shouted at his internal soul.  _“Mating? What? I don’t want a Mate.  This is so fucked up! What does this mean? Can she feel what I’m feeling right now?”_

 _“Not sure if feeling like an idiot is something that gets conveyed through the link.  But you should probably go find her and ask her.  Besides,”_ Rancidus added, _“she’s vulnerable now, just like Lucy was.”_

Cobra grit his teeth at the mention of his former Conquest.  He had plans for how he was going to get her back.  He wanted _her_ ; not some stupid chick he found at a bar that he was going to press for information. How the hell did this happen.

_“Easy.  Her magic is compatible to yours.  Didn’t you notice?  She had no issues drinking down your spicy spunk.”_

_“Gross,”_ Cobra responded.  _“I can’t believe you watch that.”_

 _“Think of it less as me watching, and more as me participating!”_ Rancidus teased and Cobra nearly blanched.

 _“So what am I supposed to do now?”_ Cobra asked frantically.

_“What are you asking me for? I'm not your guidance counselor. But when you get a chance, we should talk about your college entrance exams.”_

_“Uuhhhhh!!”_ Cobra shouted in exasperation at his inner soul.  _“Can you not just be helpful for one minute.  Even that lightning slayer’s inner soul was helping him.”_

Rancidus turned serious.  _“Don’t mention Electrum to me_.”

Cobra was too rattled by the news to pay attention to the shift in Rancidus’ voice.  It would be something he would have to revisit with his asshole of an inner soul later.  _“Can’t I just let the Mating go? Like, just let it be or something.”_

_“I hate helping you but fine.  Yes, you can.  But, I dunno man.  In terms of compatible Mates—our kind is hard pressed to find one.  And she’s not half bad.  Seems like maybe you should see it through.”_

_“Why?”_

Rancidus sighed.  _“I’ve said it before.  To complete a Mating with someone of truly compatible magic will increase your powers immensely.  You think you’re strong now.  Fully Mated you’d be able to take down that blond slayer easy.”_

Cobra considered what his inner soul was saying.  The dragon was so rarely helpful, he kind of felt like he should take his advice when it was being offered.  _“Good fucking idea,”_ Rancidus sneered.

_“Fine.  But only because it benefits me.”_

_“Did I say it was a benefit to anyone else? Stop being a moron and get going.”_

_“Fine,”_ Cobra responded, before turning back around to head for the hotel.  Of course he slipped out of the room while the girl was sleeping off their second round of sex.  Perhaps if he was lucky, he could still catch her before she left.

. . .

Laxus awoke first.  He found himself completely passed out on the bed, a still sleeping Lucy on top of him.  He tried to shake the haze from his brain.  He clearly remembered Lucy riding him and pressing her hands into his chest. It was that part that felt strange and he tried to tell her to stop but she was too lost in the moment.  And then, as soon as she came, bringing him over the edge with her, he had blacked out.

He gently shook the girl and she mumbled something.  He smiled briefly, glad that she seemed fine and was merely asleep.  Rolling her over gently, he got himself to his feet before heading into the bathroom.  His hand rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he looked at himself in the mirror—

\--and turned to punch the man standing next to him on instinct.  The man ducked gracefully, Laxus merely grazing his orange hair. “There’s no need for that—at least not yet,” Leo said in an uptight voice.

“What the fuck, man,” Laxus breathed out.  “Scared the shit out of me.  How did I not sense you?”

“Distracted by my princess and I also have no scent.”

“That part I knew,” Laxus scoffed.  He had hid Leo’s secret for years.  While he didn’t know quite what he was, his senses had told him he wasn’t human.  But then again, Leo had hid the fact that Laxus was a dragon slayer, something he probably knew all along.

“We need to talk,” the spirit said directly.

Laxus rolled his eyes. “At least let me put on some pants.”

Leo merely looked up. “Agreed.”

Laxus pulled a pair of sweat pants from the hamper next to him and slipped them on, letting them sit low on his hips.  “Alright. You really wanna do this in the bathroom?”

“It will only take but a second,” the spirit responded.  “You and Lucy are Mated now.  I felt it when it happened last night—all her spirits did.”

“You felt that?” Laxus asked, a little concerned that Lucy’s spirits had some weird sexual connection with her now.

“Not in the way you’re thinking.”

“How do you know what I’m thinking?” Laxus immediately said back.

“Laxus, we were playboys of the guild for many years.  It takes one to know one.”  Laxus nodded his head in understanding, a bit of a smirk on his face.  “I won’t say I oppose what happened.  It’s happened and it was her choice and I respect that. But it does carry certain implications.”

“Go on.”

“Your magic as well as your lives are now intertwined.  As the Mating bond grows stronger, the death of one of you will mean the death of the other.”

Laxus sighed.  “I kind of figured that.”

“It doesn’t happen all at once, from what I’ve seen of dragon mating, which is the only thing I can compare it to.  The loss of a Mate at an early stage is not quite as catastrophic.”

“Just how old are you, anyways?” Laxus wondered aloud.

Leo ignored him.  “But it is something you should be aware of.”

Laxus nodded his head. “Understood.  Our magic?”

“It’s difficult to know just how your magic will change but it _will_ change.  It will carry a piece of hers with it and vice versa.”

“What does that mean for her contracts with you all?”

Leo looked somewhat miffed. “It means,” he hesitated, “that our contracts are, in a limited way, now with you also.”

Laxus pinched the bridge of his nose.  “What does that mean?”

Leo broke the heavy mood with a bit of a laugh.  “Always so good with pussy, never as good with thought.”

“Fuck you,” Laxus added and Leo just smirked.

“It means, that if you are in severe danger, you may call on any of us. Or rather, we have the choice to answer your call.  If Lucy calls upon us, we must appear.  For you, it is a choice.  But given that your life means hers, we are now bound to protecting yours as we do hers.”

Laxus breathed deeply. “This is a lot to take in.”

Leo nodded.  “I understand, but it was something I felt like I should tell you, face to face.” Laxus locked eyes with Leo and nodded. “Treat her well,” Leo added.  “She deserves the best.”

“I’ll try and live up to that every day,” Laxus said, almost to himself.

“I know you will,” Leo said before finally disappearing in a shower of golden light.


	46. Tantrums

“Laxus,” he heard the girl’s voice from behind the closed bathroom door.  Opening the door, he hurried to her side.

“Where’d you go?” she asked sleepily.

Laxus smiled at her. “Just using the bathroom, that’s all.” He looked down at her and couldn’t help but feel his heart swell.  Leo had just confirmed it and it was finally sinking in as he moved to hold the girl in his arms—she was his and he was hers.  He wasn’t ever going to feel alone anymore.

“What happened?” Lucy asked, seemingly coming out of her own haze.

Laxus held her tighter in his arms before turning to cage her underneath his hulking frame. Leaning his head down, he kissed her and she didn’t fight it, responding immediately.

He deepened the kiss, knowing he needed to tell her what he knew now but also wanting to hold onto this moment for as long as possible.  It was Lucy that turned up the heat between them, letting her fingers graze down his back and thrusting her hips into his already hardening member.

Where yesterday was hard and fast, Laxus wanted to take his time with Lucy this morning, since this is what it seemed like she wanted.  She was already naked, so he didn’t have to bother with removing her clothes.  He released her lips, sliding his tongue against her neck before planting soft kisses to her skin.

He loved hearing the sounds she was making and he knew he would never tire of it.  Moving up to her ear, he whispered the words “I love you” before grabbing her lobe with his teeth, nipping it gently.  Lucy gasped at his movements, letting her hand travel across his muscular back before landing at his narrow hips.

She pushed his sweatpants down and Laxus did the rest by kicking them off.  It was like he already knew what she wanted before she made any signs of it and Laxus didn’t hesitate before pushing his erect member deep into her body.  His movements were slow and fluid, pushing in and out of her tight core as he wound her up tighter and tighter.

Lucy was moaning his name before she was even fully awake.  His cock was sliding against her walls expertly and she pushed her pelvis up against his movements to bring herself closer to her high with each of Laxus’ thrusts.

The two of them were moving together in such synchronicity that the thought floated through her mind that the Mating must have been completed last night.  But she wasn’t able to take too much time to pay attention to stray thoughts.  Laxus was palming her breasts so sensuously while still maintaining that steady rhythm that she as almost at her limit.

His hands began roaming all over her body, lighting up areas and making her feel so aroused she didn’t think it was possible.  She was breathing deeply as Laxus’ movements sped up slightly and words began to tumble out of her mouth.

Her praises for his movements had Laxus moving faster and faster and before long, he could feel the muscles in his lower core tensing tightly.  He wanted to release into her but not before he was sure she would crash over her own climax with him.  “Oh god, yes, Laxus!” she shouted as warmth began to spread through her.  It was subtle at first but as she breathed the energy through her body, it spread throughout and she arched her back as her muscles clenched.  Screaming his name amidst a moan she came.

The sight of her underneath him, writhing in ecstasy as she was, her eyes rolling back before closing had him toppling over the edge with her and his member pulsed its release into her body as they both breathed through the pleasure, seemingly together.

. . .

“Laxus! This is amazing!” Lucy laughed as she twirled tiny bits of electricity between her fingers. Laxus was standing on the back porch to his home, looking out at his Mate.  Her image was reflecting against the water on the lake and he had to marvel at where he was and everything that had happened.

“Just be careful you don’t light any trees on fire,” he yelled back at her, a bit of mirth in his voice.

She ran over to him, a smile plastered on her face.  “Did you ever do that?” she asked, trying to catch her breath.

“Yeah,” he said, uncrossing his arms so the girl could lean in to give him a hug.  Wrapping his thick arms around her he added, “just don’t tell Natsu.”

Lucy giggled. “Promise I won’t.”  The two stood there for a while, just enjoying the feeling of being connected.  The last few days had been like this.  The transfer of magic and the effects of the Mating were slowly manifesting.  Lucy nearly screamed when she accidentally sparked lightning between her fingers.  Since that morning, the two would come outside after breakfast and train together.

Their need for physical contact had increased as well.  Laxus had never ever considered himself to be someone who enjoyed cuddling, but he couldn’t seem to stop himself from wrapping his arms around Lucy.  In some ways he realized it was likely the Mating, pulling them together as much as possible in the beginning so that their bond could grow stronger.  But he didn’t mind.

His own magic abilities had begun to morph as well and Electrum had returned and was guiding him through it. When he first heard his inner soul’s voice, he had nearly cried—though he would never admit it.

_“I am proud of you, my son.  You have overcome a great deal of your own demons in order to see this Mating through.  I know it was difficult to put aside your doubts and listen to your instincts.”_

Electrum only spoke to Laxus when Laxus was meditating.  So he made it a point to end each day in meditation.  Lucy recognized that he needed the time to himself and would leave him to speak with his inner soul out on the deck.

_“I didn’t realize how much I valued your guidance until I lost it,” Laxus admitted to his inner soul._

_“There are a great many things we need to attend to.  Now that you are fully Mated, your third origin will expand, but only if you train it.  It is something not many other mages could even hope for, but Lucy’s magic, as complimentary as it is to yours, will help you grow in strength to a level few may have ever seen.”_

_“Is this something you can help me with?  I’m kind of at a loss on how to tap into all this.  It seems to come so easy to Lucy.  Within a day, she was creating static like she’d been doing it all her life,” Laxus admitted, a little down on himself that he hadn’t actually been able to use any celestial magic yet._

_“Our magic is physical in nature, and thus easier to tap.  Hers is accessed through a spiritual connection and therein lies the challenge.”_

_Laxus grimaced.  “You say that like it’s going to be very difficult for me.”_

_“Your power has always come from your ferocity.  When dealing with a physical magic, that is preferred. But to harness celestial magic, your mind will have to be completely still, your spirit calm.  Celestial beings do not respond to rage or anger and celestial magic cannot channel through such paths.”_

_“It seems like there’s going to be no way for me to use both at the same time, then!” Laxus huffed, in a near tantrum.  Somehow this felt unfair to him.  Quite frankly, he wasn’t used to being bad at magic._

_“Electricity can be harnessed through a calm spirit, as well. It does not need to be tapped through anger and rage.  You will need to find a new way to tap your old powers, if you ever hope to blend them with your new,” Electrum explained._

_Laxus sighed and resigned himself to his fate.  “I will try—will you help me?”_

_Electrum hesitated.  “I failed my last student miserably.  I—“ the dragon soul hesitated, “I don’t want to make the same mistake with you.”_

_Laxus nodded in understanding. “I do not know everything that happened between you and Acnologia.  And despite my temper and anger, I can guarantee you that I would not turn into what he has become.”_

_“I know you speak the truth, for you have Mated and your Mate will keep you grounded.  Perhaps, if Akun ever found a Mate, he would not have turned out the way he did.”_

_“Would you mind telling me what happened? I understand if it is too painful,” Laxus asked._

_Electrum sighed.  “You know much of what happened from your conversations with Nurem.”  Laxus nodded.  When he had gone to visit Cristoff’s dragon, she had told him about how Acnologia was actually a human boy at one point—Akun—whose parents had been killed by dragons in the Great War.  Electrum had taken pity on the child and adopted him, ultimately gifting him with Dragon Slaying magic and teaching him to use it._

_“He was such a frail child, always afraid, always having nightmares from the raids that killed his parents.  I thought if I taught him how to fight and be strong, he might be able to break free of that fear.  Instead, the fear consumed him,” Electrum explained.  “Through my own errors or his, my teachings were perverted and Akun became convinced that the only way to keep his fears at bay was to fight increasingly difficult enemies.”_

_“How did he harness the power of turning into a dragon?” Laxus asked._

_“That I don’t know.  What I do know is that he used our ability to absorb physical magical power to increase his strength beyond any challenger.”_

_Laxus thought back to his original fight with Acnologia—or Akun. At Electrum’s directions, he had consumed a roar that by all rights should have killed him._

_“That’s correct,” Electrum added onto his thoughts. “Electricity is the result of charged particles.  Quite by accident, I had discovered a way to un-charge the particles within my origins. All dragon magic is physical magic, and everything in this world seeks balance.  By doing this, I created great magic imbalances that immediately tried to fix themselves.  Activating it when an attack was released allowed me to draw the power into my origin. With time, I learned to transform it to my use.”_

_Laxus’ eyes widened.  “Fuck, you figured out how to recharge from other people’s attacks?”_

_“Put simply—yes.  I taught this power to Akun and that was my downfall.  He went mad with it.  He turned it against our kind.  Instead of limiting it to attacks, he twisted its ability some way so that he could drain another dragon’s power completely—killing in the process and growing stronger himself.”_

_“Is that what he did to you?” Laxus gulped._

_It seemed difficult for Electrum to speak.  The silence stretched on and Laxus didn’t push him. Finally he spoke, “Yes. He drained me of my powers until my physical self died.  Like all others he killed this way, our souls were separated from our physical bodies.  Thus, the ability to transfer us into a lacrima, like the one that resides in you.”_

_Laxus didn’t know what to say.  He could understand the hurt that Electrum was feeling.  His attempts to do right by a child whose parents were killed in a war ultimately led to the complete destruction of his own kind. And at the same time, trapped his soul in a constant state of purgatory._

_Following his line of thinking, Electrum chimed in.  “I can’t say that I live in a constant state of purgatory.  If anything, I have the opportunity to try and fix my errors.  And I have had the opportunity to meet and guide you, for which I am grateful.  Ultimately, if the seiths hadn’t come upon my soul and transferred me here, that fate would have been the true purgatory.  There would have been no rest for me ever.”_

_“Did you say seiths? Like as in Bickslow’s magic.”_

_“That’s correct,” Electrum agreed. “It was actually members of his clan, long before he was born, that found my soul as well as others killed by Akun.  Some others opted to be put to an ultimate rest and the clan carried out those wishes. Myself and others, like Rancidus, opted to stay, well I guess the word isn’t really alive, but I don’t know what else to use.”_

_“Rancidus?”_

_“You remember, the inner soul of the slayer that Claimed your Mate.  A poison dragon and not friendly.  He harbors much anger over my situation with Akun.”  Electrum sighed.  “I cannot say I blame him.”_

_Laxus tried to project feelings of encouragement and acceptance towards his inner soul.  “I’m glad you made the choice you did.  In whatever small way I can help, I will try.”_

_“I’m afraid my past sins have fallen squarely on your shoulders.”_

_“Good thing I have broad shoulders,” Laxus responded and the two sat in comfortable silence for some time after._

. . .

Mickey woke to knocking at the hotel door.  She looked around and didn’t see the red head anywhere.  _“Shame,”_ she lamented internally.  _“He was hot.”_

Grabbing a robe, she threw it on and opened the door, surprised to see the same guy on the other side of the door.  “Sorry,” he said, slipping by her, “got locked out.”

Mickey furrowed her brow. “You’re being weird.  Have you come back to murder me or something?”

Cobra snorted.  He really liked this girl’s wicked sense of humor. “Hardly, but that joke killed.”

Mickey gave him a straight look before bursting out laughing.  “A plus on the dad joke.”

“It’s kinda my style,” Cobra laughed himself.  He couldn’t help but smile around the girl.  “So, anyways,” he said, not really sure how to start this whole conversation.

“What made you come back?” the girl asked, plopping herself down onto the bed.

Cobra followed suit, lying down next to her, propping himself up on his elbow.  He’d have to gauge it slowly.  “Ever heard of dragon slayers?”

She turned to look at him, her brown hair a mess against the covers.  “Yeah, used to fuck one.  And he was an asshole.”

“What was his name?” Cobra asked immediately, wincing because it came off like a jealous boyfriend question.

“What’s it matter to you?” she said, turning back to play with the tie on the robe.

“It doesn’t. Nevermind.  Well anyways,” Cobra said, trying to move the conversation forward.

“His name was Laxus Dreyar,” Mickey interrupted.  “He was in Fairy Tail too. He still is—I think—I dunno his status has always been complicated.”

Cobra seethed.  “Laxus Dreyar! You used to fuck Laxus Dreyar?” he yelled, standing up and beginning to pace.

“What’s the big idea?” Mickey responded, not caring about his little temper tantrum.

“I _hate_ that guy!” Cobra nearly roared.  He’d never knew just who the blond slayer was that had come to Tenrou and messed things up with Lucy—that is until he started looking into the Grand Magic Games for Acno.  The team lists had been submitted and there were the pictures—Fairy Tail—a picture of his Lucy and next to it? A picture of the man who had stolen her from him, Laxus Dreyar.

The girl seemed unfazed by Cobra’s eruption.  “That makes two of us.”

“Wait, what?” Cobra turned, a little taken aback by the girl’s words.

“God, he was such an asshole.  If it makes you feel any better, we only fucked once.  I think—I dunno I got around a lot back then, but I’m pretty sure.”

Cobra looked at the girl dumbfounded.  Maybe Rancidus was right, maybe he had stumbled upon the perfect girl for him. There she was, still just lying on the bed, playing with the tie to her robe, completely unruffled by his outburst.

Cobra let himself fall back on the bed, suddenly in a better mood.  He moved in close to her, planting a kiss to her neck and she stretched, giving him a larger surface.  “You wanna get back at him?” Cobra said between kisses.

“I dunno, what do you have in mind,” she said, more interested in Cobra’s tongue moving across her neck.

His hand started low, pushing the robe aside before snaking its way between her thighs and she shuddered as he passed over her inner thigh.  “Grand Magic Games, he and his new Mate are going to be participating.”

Her breath hitched as his fingers ghosted over her lower lips.  “What’s a Mate?” she asked.

“You’re about to find out,” he whispered.

She nodded, but added, “Okay, just tell me what your name is first.”

_“Holy fuck.  I think I love this girl.”_


	47. Training

The man was an idiot but at least he’d delivered.  It seemed he was able to get away from being an asshole to his Claimed for a minute to do some actual reconnaissance.  Some girl he’d run into who used to be a Fairy Tail mage currently worked in the palace at Crocus.

Acno had been forced to listen to him go on and on about the girl and he’d rolled his eyes before Cobra realized he was wearing on his nerves.  He could smell it on him—the man was freshly Mated—and he quite frankly didn’t care.

_“So the princess is going to be using the magic from the Games to power the Gate?” Acno had asked him._

_“Yeah,” but she doesn’t know how she’s going to accomplish that or what this Gate is going to do.  She had just overheard the guards talking and passed it along._

_Acno threw a bag of jewel at the man and Cobra caught it effortlessly.  “Those are details to which I already have the answers.”_

_“Oh,” Cobra said, his eyebrows lifting slightly.  “Is there anything else I can do for now.”_

_“Tell this girl to continue to keep her ear to the ground about the Gate and report to me any more information you have.  You know how to get ahold of me.  I still expect you to be present at the Games.  I understand you cannot compete in person given your status as a criminal, but you still have a hold on your Claimed, do you not?”_

_Cobra nodded.  “I do. Less so now, but it’s still there. She’s already signed up.”_

_Acno nodded.  “See to it.” The man turned and walked away into the mist and Cobra was happy to be out of the area as quickly as possible. He wanted to get back to Mickey._

_His relationship with Minerva had strained when Mickey became his Mate.  He still had a hold over the girl but he had let it loosen previously enough for her to reenter her old Guild and be able to fight in the games.  This meant drama—the type Cobra hated—chick drama._

_When Mickey had finally come to his apartment, Minerva was there—unexpectedly.  “Who the fuck is this?” Minerva had screamed, throwing things all over the apartment._

_Mickey snickered, taunting the older woman.  She pulled up her skirt, exposing herself to the woman and tilted her leg out to show the purple bite mark on her inner thigh. “I’m his Mate, bitch,” she sneered._

_Minerva lost it and Cobra ultimately had to release a sleeping agent into the air.  “Fuck! This stuff totally turns me on!” Mickey said, running over to Cobra and basically tackling him, completely ignoring the fact that Minerva had fallen to the floor, passed out cold._

_“I fucking love how my poison gets you going,” Cobra responded, kissing his new Mate.  And he really meant it.  It was so refreshing to be able to have sex or get a blowjob without having to produce an antidote.  Turns out that Mickey’s magic was something she didn’t realize she even had herself—immunity to venom.  She’d never truly understood what her magic was, knowing only that she could control certain types of animals.  But it turned out that the animals she could control were all immune to venom, as was she._

_Testing it had been fun.  When her anti-venom kicked in, she became incredibly horny.  It was like a dream come true for Cobra._

_Dealing with Minerva—less so.  But for now, he needed her to continue on in the Games for Acno. The man’s money was too good to pass up. He’d figure out what to do with her after the Games were over. Besides, he might just use her to get to Laxus—he still vehemently hated that man._

_“Erik,” the girl had said, bringing him back to the present. “I need you to fuck me against that wall,” she said, pointing to the spot above where Minerva was lying._

_“You’re fucking kinky as shit.”_

_“You love it,” she sneered back, before diving in to bite his lower lip._

. . .

Minerva finally awoke to find herself propped against the outside of her Guildhall—Sabertooth.  She was hazy but she specifically remembered a woman claiming to be Cobra’s Mate in his apartment.

Thinking back, she recognized that girl—she was a member of the Fairy Tail Guild.  Hatred began to bloom in her heart.  “I fucking hate those Fairies,” she yelled aloud.  Several people walking nearby on the street looked at her strangely, giving her a wide berth. 

Orders from her beloved Cobra flowed into her mind.  “Be a good girl, go inside and get yourself cleaned up.  The Games start in just two days.  I need you to be ready.”

Minerva smiled, standing up to follow her Master’s orders.  She wished he was there, she wished he could see how good she was being for him.  She would do what he said, and she would also use this as her chance to destroy Fairy Tail. Then she would have her Cobra all to herself.

. . .

Lucy walked into the Guildhall from the training grounds.  Panting heavily, she approached the bar and Mira immediately handed her a large glass of water.  She downed the entire thing and gave the girl a thankful look.

“You two have been working extremely hard,” Mira commented.

Lucy nodded her head. Her and Laxus had been training non-stop in preparation for the Games.  The Guild had lost a lot of clout and everyone wanted to regain their reputation and show the world just how great of a Guild Fairy Tail was. 

The two used their time to train together when at the house, but at the Guild, they kept their efforts separate.  Laxus was working on a technique Electrum was teaching him and Lucy had been working with Capricorn on a new move that incorporated her newfound abilities.

The Guild had been largely supportive of their official Mating, even if they didn’t fully understand it.  Ultimately, it didn’t surprise many people, considering how the two had already been living together.  If anything, it was a relief to not have such tense sexual energy going on between the two.

Natsu had been the first to know what had happened.  He had run up to Lucy and given her a hug.  “I’m happy for you, Luce.  You seem happy.”

“Thanks, Natsu!” Lucy replied, hugging her friend back.  The two had had a tried relationship and the thing with Laxus going unresolved for so long hadn’t helped things at all.  So it was good to know all that was behind them now.

Back at the house, Lucy had been working with Laxus on tapping into the celestial realm.  It was difficult for him at first, but with time, he was able to call upon celestial power and her spirits had confirmed they could hear his calls in practice. 

What Laxus was truly trying to master was tapping into his own powers without feeling rage or anger. He hadn’t realized just how much he relied on brute force to wield his lightning.  Lightning was a strong element.  It had a mind of its own and would do what it wanted if not kept in check. He had always used raw power to control it.  Now, he was finding out that by aligning himself with the power, he could guide it to his will rather than force it.  But it was difficult, and it was slow going, but he was making progress with Electrum’s guidance.

And his third origin was growing—immensely Electrum said.  His ability to use it was increasing beyond anything the inner soul had ever seen.

 _“If you continue at this rate, I do believe you may be strong enough to take on Akun—and perhaps defeat him,”_ Electrum had said in one of their evening meditations.

_“That’s the plan,” Laxus replied.  “I need to be ready.  I don't know how long Akun will stay away.”_

_“If I know my other son, it will not be for long.  He will not be able to handle the fact that he was unable to kill you.”_

_“Well,” Laxus scoffed, “he would have if it hadn’t been for Merlin’s intervention.”_

_“True,” Electrum replied.  “But ultimately Akun was ignorant of that.  From his viewpoint, he say an enemy he couldn’t defeat.  He won’t sit on that for very long.  He will come for you.”_

_“And I’ll be ready,” Laxus replied._

_“There is no other option.”_

. . .

_Flare hadn't expected their tryst to last more than a romp or two. She had seen Erigor and the way he cast women aside in the past. So when he continued to return to her, and even to stay through the night and invite her to his apartment, she couldn't help but wonder what she had done right. But as his fingers moved further down her body to start playing with her lower lips, she lost all ability for coherent thought, focusing only on his actions._

_It never took long to get Flare warmed up. Within minutes, Erigor was sliding himself inside, the wonderful sounds of the girl moaning beneath him filling his walls. Being distracted as he was, he failed to hear the small paper doll flutter out of his slightly opened window._

. . .

Ivan bristled.  He knew his son had been getting close to Flare and while at first he didn’t mind Erigor satisfying his needs with another guildmember, their recent conversations had turned into near conspiracy.

Erigor simply couldn’t understand how important Laxus was to Ivan.  Laxus could help him bring his beloved wife back—no one understood how important this was.  But ultimately, if Erigor wasn’t on board with recruiting Laxus to the Guild, that was his loss. 

Ivan was happy to have him out of the picture.  He could prove useful investigating the Fairy Tail Guildhall while their strongest members were at the Games.  He knew his father was hiding something there, something of such tremendous power that perhaps it too could help bring his love back to him.  So let Erigor play his games with Flare for now, thinking that he was having his way.  Ivan would deal with his dishonesty later.

END CHAPTER 47

 


	48. Games

Lucy looked up at the cheering crowd. She couldn't believe this day was already here. She hadn't really thought too much about how she would feel participating in the Games. In some ways, she hadn't believed Laxus when he told her she had been selected to be part of Fairy Tail's team.

Looking out at the other teams that made it through the qualifier was a bit intimidating. Sabertooth, Mermaid Heel, Lamia Scale, Quatro Cerberus, Blue Pegasus, Raven Tail and of course, Fairy Tail Team B. Laxus had hid the secret of the second team's existence well. Not even Lucy knew there was to be a second until they met at the end of the labyrinth in the qualifier.

She looked at him from across the arena. He seemed so calm; so immune to the incredible amounts of people screaming all around them. He looked larger than life standing there in a tight black tee, red pants and his signature fur-lined coat.

Guildarts had left control of the Guild to Laxus a week before heading to the Games. Laxus had protested his premature departure but Guildarts insisted he was ready to take the mantle and he needed to fulfill his promise to Makarov. Lucy was so proud of how Laxus had been handling everything. He did not take this new responsibility lightly; she could tell he really cared for his Guildmates.

Laxus caught his Mate's eye from across the arena. He could sense her nerves through their bond and while they were still fairly new at its mechanics, he attempted to push comfort and reassurance back. Lucy felt it and smiled back at him. Laxus didn't think making her smile would ever get old.

But something drew his attention away from his Mate. Looking out across the stage, he locked eyes with a member of the Raven Tail Guild. In an eerie way, it felt like the entire Guild was staring at him, but he tried to shrug it off. He turned his attention on the member shrouded in gold armor and a fur-lined coat strikingly similar to his own. He paused, trying to suss out the man's magic signature, but announcements began to blare and he had to turn away.

. . .

Ivan knew Laxus was trying to sense his magic signature, but thanks to Obra's magic, it was unlikely Laxus would find it. He hated having to disguise his true identity to his son. But he knew the time would come for them to reunite. The plan was already set, the Games moderator had already ensured Ivan a one on one with his son. By the end of the Games, Ivan would have his son and his wife back, and if Erigor was successful, a power that could keep them all safe for the rest of their lives together.

When Ivan learned that Makarov had reported his use of transformation magic on a living being, making him a wanted man, he raged. Not only had the man taken his son and Guild from him, now he sought to take his freedom too.

Looking over at his son across the sand, he could see that the man radiated power. He was nothing like the sickly child he once was. Ivan knew that as painful as it was, he had done the right thing by implanting him with that lacrima.

Announcements blared over the loud speaker signaling the start of Ivan's plan.

. . .

Minerva sneered as she looked across the stadium at the blonde. Her Master had made no secret about his obsession for the woman and Minerva hated it. She wanted to be the one Cobra yearned for and she knew as soon as she eliminated Lucy, her Master would turn his focus back to her.

It had been roughly a week ago that Minerva woke up outside the Sabertooth Guildhall. She thought she must have been dreaming because her Master had come back to their home with a woman claiming to be his Mate and that couldn't be right. She didn't remember how she to her Guild there but she had clear instructions in her mind from her Master of what she was to do during the Games. He wanted her investigating a gate the princess was supposedly building. Minerva would do that, of course, she would never disobey her Master's orders, but when it was her turn to fight Fairy Tail, she would secure her place by her Master's side by whatever means necessary.

. . .

Acnologia looked down on the teams in the center of the stadium from a bannister near the highest seats in the arena. His vision was impeccable and there were less bothersome people up this high. He sneered as Fairy Tail Team B appeared on the sand. That blond slayer, Laxus was what the scoreboard read, was standing amongst them.

He had expected as much and his appearance could not have been better timed. With the Gate opening at the culmination of the Games, Acnologia would not only be able to defeat Laxus, but every other would be challenger he missed all those years ago.

. . .

"You've got this Lucy!" Natsu yelled at her when her name was announced along with Flare's from Raven Tail.

"Do your best!" Mirajane said in her sweet voice.

Lucy looked at her Mate and he gave her a firm stare. "You're stronger than you ever have been before. Believe in yourself. You can do this."

With the words of encouragement from her team, she walked through the narrow hallways before finally appearing down on the sand. Flare appeared on the other side of the stadium, her eyes completely fixated on Lucy. Lucy couldn't deny it—the girl was beautiful—but she had a crazed look in her eye.

"Hey there, blondie," the girl tauned from the other end of the stage. No one had heard of the Raven Tail Guild before the qualifiers, so Lucy didn't have too much information on what this girl's abilities were. She sized her up, looking at her from head to toe.

 _"Well, she's wearing a pretty impractical outfit which means that her attacks are likely to be long range, rather than some sort of close up contact like Erza."_ Lucy watched as the woman's long hair swayed, seemingly moving of its own accord. _"Strange,"_ Lucy though as she watched it.

Flare instantly hated the girl across from her. She had heard of Lucy Heartfilia—run away misfit was the talk of the town for some time. And Flare knew that she was Laxus' girlfriend and for Flare, anyone associated with Laxus could go fuck themselves.

 _"Erigor is the better son! Ivan needs to see that! If I can beat this girl, perhaps Ivan will realize what bad judgment Laxus has and finally realize how much better Erigor is!"_ Flare's logic began to twist and morph in her head as the noise of the crowd pressed on her ears.

The siren blared, signaling the start of the fight and Flare immediately directed her hair to attack Lucy head on. Her greatest strength was the element of surprise and she usually only got one shot at surprising her opponent this way.

But Lucy was quick on her feet and jumped out of the way while simultaneously summoning a spirit with her magic. "Go get her Taurus!" she shouted.

The bull raged at Flare, and all the while, Lucy began calling out other spirits to attack. _"I'm not going to win this fight if this continues!"_ she panicked internally. She was on the defensive and she knew it. _"Losing is not an option. I have to win—no matter how!"_ Flare directed a piece of her hair down into the cement without Lucy noticing.

Lucy managed to trap the woman with her whip while Flare also trapped Lucy with her hair. Lucy was about to break free but Flare stopped her. "Throw the fight or else," she said, just loud enough for Lucy to hear.

"You're crazy if you think I'm going to just give up!" Lucy said, about to move.

"Looks like you don't care about the life of that little girl then," Flare said with a crazy smile. _"Let her think I'd hurt the girl. That's all I need."_ Flare knew it was wrong but the stakes were too high; she needed Lucy to throw the fight.

Lucy managed to turn her head slightly to see Flare's hair looming over the youngest member of their Guild who had joined the rest of the members to spectate. "You wouldn't!" Lucy shouted back at her.

"Try me," Flare bluffed.

Lucy took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her and Laxus had been practicing pushing coherent thoughts through their link. It was exceedingly difficult, but Lucy had to try. _"Danger! Asuka! Laxus!"_ she repeated in her mind, drawing on their bond as best she could.

Laxus could tell something was wrong. Lucy was much stronger than she had ever been and she should have easily been able to take this girl out without too much effort. The fact that she was staying pinned like this while she could just call another spirit was off. Then he sensed it—overwhelming emotions coming through their link followed by— _"are those words?"_ He thought he could hear the word "danger" and then—

He looked down at the little girl next to him and noticed a piece of red hair sticking up from the floor, shaped into a razor sharp shank. His eyes widened as he realized what was happening. Without anyone knowing any better, he let charged particles flow from his fingers, singing the hair into ash.

Flare screamed suddenly from across the arena and Lucy got up with a determination he had never seen before. Calling out one of her spirits to defend her, Lucy raised her hands over her head and Laxus watched in awe as his Mate began to draw charged energy from all around her. She was blending their magic in a final attack.

Flare tried to throw every attack she could at the blonde but her stupid spirit was blocking everything she did. She could feel the magic pressure building and she knew she would lose if the girl's attack landed. Turning around to the stands, out of desperation she signaled Obra. She didn't want to do it and she hoped Ivan wouldn't notice, although she knew the chances of that were slim.

Just as the girl announced her spell and electricity swelled with celestial power above her, Obra blinked his eyes and she began to fall to the floor.

"What the fuck!" Laxus cursed as he watched what happened. He felt it. Her magic was building and just as she was about to attack the girl, a magic depleting spell was cast out on the field and robbed Lucy of her power. His chest ached and he didn't pay attention to the gasps as he teleported onto the field to catch his Mate.

She looked up at him, weak in his arms and said, "I'm sorry. I lost."

Laxus felt the insecurity, embarrassment and depression flow into her mind; she couldn't hide things like that from him now. He raged. Turning his gaze across the sand he looked at the redhead with murderous intent. She and her Guild had harmed his Mate and they would pay.

Flare had been waiving to the cheering crowds but when Laxus appeared on the field, she quickly made her exit. She wasn't going to risk getting attacked by him on her own. Even with her limited abilities she could sense that the man was a powerhouse in his own right.

. . .

"Hey," Laxus smiled at his Mate as she finally woke.

Lucy blinked her eyes open, looking between Laxus and Porlyusica. "Am I dreaming? This seems weirdly familiar."

Laxus had to chuckle. Lucy was obviously referring to several months ago when the medicine woman had caught the two fooling around in her apartment while she was supposed to be recovering from her injuries from Phantom.

"You're lucky to be alive," Porlyusica announced and both Mates' widened their eyes. "If it hadn't been for that bond you two now share, that attack would have depleted all your magic. It would have killed you."

"Wha-? How-?" Lucy still didn't know exactly what had happened and what the woman was saying wasn't making sense.

"One of the Raven Tail Guildmembers performed a magic depletion spell on you," Laxus explained.

"Laxus magic flowed into you as yours was being depleted. Not in terribly large amounts, but then again, your bond is still new," the woman said, more to herself than anything. And without saying anything more, the pinkhaired woman left the pair alone.

Laxus moved in to hold Lucy in his arms. "I'm sorry I lost," she said, feeling sadness and doubt begin to overwhelm her. "I trained so hard but I guess it wasn't good enough."

Laxus shook his head. "Lucy, that Guild tried to _murder_ you! You heard what she said. This had nothing to do with how strong you are. Remember even Gramps was knocked cold from a magic depletion spell for several weeks, and he was a wizard saint."

Even as the tears fell from her eyes, listening to Laxus talk made her feel that much better.

"Raven Tail will pay for what they did to you," Laxus vowed silently.

. . .

"Fuck today!" Laxus shouted while holding up a beer. "And fuck the Games!" he said before downing it. The rest of Fairy Tail cheered and followed suit, all shouting "Fuck the Games!" at the top of their lungs. The few patrons that were there not part of Fairy Tail quickly hurried out of the building as they watched the mages get rowdy celebrating their day of defeat.

Porlyusica had actually been surprised at how fast Lucy recovered from her magic depletion, but she figured it had something to do with her and Laxus' fast strengthening bond and had released her from bed rest.

Lucy cheered with the rest of them, holding up a hard cider of her own before bringing it to her lips and downing the bubbly liquid. "Fuck that girl!" she laughed as Laxus came over to her, wrapping his strong arms around her petite waist.

"I know what girl I'd like to fuck," he said in a heated whisper against her ear as he pushed himself into her back.

She giggled, "Laxus," she exclaimed as he started nipping at her ear.

"Watching you out on the field today, fighting and giving it everything you had, blending our magic like that, fuck Lucy it got me so turned on," he breathed.

"Watching me lose turned you on?" she joked.

"Watching you kick ass turned me on," Laxus responded without missing a beat.

Lucy heard whistling from across the room and she looked up to see Cana hanging all over a guy she remembered seeing at that dive bar months ago. Lucy had finally learned that his name was Bacchus. "Get a room!" she shouted at the pair.

Lucy laughed before shouting back, "tell that to your own date!" considering Bacchus was grinding against Cana quite suggestively at the moment. "How'd he even get in here anyways?" Lucy thought aloud. "Isn't this supposed to be Fairy Tail only?"

"Forget about them," Laxus whispered in her ear before he turned her around and pressed his lips to hers. Within minutes, Laxus had Lucy back in their room, pressed against the wall.

"God, yes, Laxus!" she moaned as his hands roamed her entire body. He made quick work of her clothing, casting it down on the floor before diving in with his mouth to her exposed breasts. His tongue traced circles around her stiffened peaks as his fingers worker her clit in circles over top her panties.

Lucy could feel her knees weakening and Laxus knew she was close. Moving his lips to her other breast, he threw her head back as he worked her closer and closer to her climax. "Bed," she managed to breathe out and he complied, lifting her nearly naked form and all but throwing her on the bed.

He used the opportunity to dispose of his own clothes, climbing back onto his Mate with just his boxers on. He pressed his core into hers and she groaned his name. He would have liked to have teased her more, but he was at his own limit and he could feel that she was nearing hers. Moving down her body he dove in to lick her center with relish. It only took seconds of work before she was screaming his name in ecstasy.

Laxus couldn't wait for her to come down from her high. Kicking his briefs off, he kept her panties pushed aside and entered her, sheathing himself fully as she continued to pulse around his cock. He thrust into his Mate with abandon, chanting her name as he worked towards his release. Their coupling was fast, demanding and animalistic. Her soft curves felt too good against his hard edges and within seconds he was toppling over his edge, holding her tightly against him as he moaned her name.

As the two breathed out their release, before Lucy went to clean herself up. Climbing back into the bed, Laxus wrapped his arms around his Mate, pulling her close to him. "Thanks, Laxus," Lucy said into his arm.

"For what?" he asked, trying to hold onto consciousness as sleep started to take him.

Lucy sighed. "Just, for everything."

Laxus hugged her tighter and the two fell into a blissful sleep, completely unaware of the trials they were about to face in the coming week.

END CHAPTER 48

 


	49. Ghosts

 

For once in his life, something was actually going the way Laxus wanted.  As the announcement blared that he was going to face off against Raven Tail’s Alexi, he shrugged off his coat, rolled his shoulders and focused his anger into magical energy.

Lucy was standing next to him when the announcement was made and he turned to her.  Leaning down, he kissed her, pulling her into his arms and finding additional strength in contact with her.  He didn’t have to say anything and neither did she.  Everything they felt about each other and this match they could feel through their connection.

Walking onto the sand, the crowd cheered as the two men’s steps took them closer and closer together. The gong sounded and the fight began.

. . .

Back in Magnolia, Fairy Tail had opened their Guildhall up to anyone who wanted to come and watch the match on their large lacrima visions.  Cheers arose from the crowds inside as it was announced that Laxus was to face Alexi.

Erigor snnered internally, as he walked silently along the back of the room.  Seeing Laxus’ face plastered all over the hall and the crowds of people cheering for him made him angry.  Perhaps Ivan would defeat him and realize his first born wasn’t as strong as he thought after all.  Perhaps then they could have the relationship they were meant to have.

With everyone distracted by the start of the match, Erigor slipped into the back corridor and began to search for what exactly, he was not sure.

. . .

Acnologia watched from his spot in the high seats, as he had for the entirety of the Games thus far. He was truly looking forward to watch Laxus fight.  He was itching to take the man down himself, and if he was as strong as he expected, this fight would be over in a matter of minutes.

But Acnologia would gain valuable information about his fighting style simply by watching him. It would ensure his victory as swiftly as possible when they finally battled at the culmination of the Games.

But as the gong sounded, Acnologia’s eyes widened uncharacteristically as he watched Laxus immediately on the defensive.  This Alexis had him cornered within seconds, pounding him with punches before Laxus even had the opportunity to fight back.  One was so strong, it sent him sailing clear across the arena, slamming into the stone on the opposite side.

Had Acnologia been mistaken? Was this man not as strong as he had thought? But he had fought Laxus and Laxus had survived.  That needed to be rectified.  But this Alexi may need to be taken out, as well, if what Acnologia was seeing was to be believed.

. . .

“He’s losing?” Natsu said in disbelief as he watched Laxus continue to take a beating.

“What a pansy ass,” Gajeel said from his spot in the balcony.

“This can’t be, Laxus!” Freed shouted in clear concern.

“Awe, come on, boss man!” Bickslow added.

Lucy shook her head, trying to block out the concerned shouts of her Guildmates and concentrate on the bond with her Mate.  She didn’t know how to explain it but, “something’s not right,” she finally said aloud.

Natsu turned to her.  “What do you mean?”

Lucy furrowed her eyebrows, trying to make sense of it all.  “It’s just that, what I’m seeing isn’t what I’m feeling.”

. . .

Laxus watched with crossed arms, still in the place he had been when the gong sounded, as a false version of himself and Alexi battled, him clearly losing the fight.  “Care to explain what all this is?” he asked in a somewhat bored tone.

“Illusory magic,” the man said behind the mask.  “It’s the only way we could have a private conversation.  Those around us cannot see or hear us, even though we are standing right in front of them.”

The crowd continued to respond to the false scene in front of them, confused as they watched the powerhouse dragon slayer being beaten by an unknown mage without even fighting back. “Incredibly convincing, isn’t it? Not a single person has noticed.  They’re all watching you lose this fight.”

Laxus narrowed his eyes and looked around.  That’s when he caught Lucy’s eye.  His false self was two hundred feet away and yet she was looking right at him. Gaining confidence from his Mate, he turned back to the masked mage.  “I don’t get it.  This plan of yours doesn’t make any sense.  What’s the point of beating me with an illusion?  You call that a win?”

“Victory in this battle is not my primary goal.  The purpose of this illusion is to distract those around us.”  Laxus watched as Alexi reached up to remove his golden mask.  It revealed a face Laxus remembered from a life before this one—his father’s.  The man’s complexion was darker than before, but there was no mistaking Ivan.

“Dad?” Laxus said in a confused voice.  Of all the people under that mask, his father was the last person he expected to see.

Ivan smiled at his son. “Look at you! Look at how powerful you have become! I can feel your magical energy from where I am standing now.”

Laxus tsked.  “What is it that you want?”

“You, my boy!” Ivan said in a grand voice.  “Makarov forced us apart all those years ago.  He kept me from you for selfish reasons as he did with that great power Fairy Tail holds. I’ve come back for both, so we can be a family again.”

Laxus narrowed his eyes. “The way I remember it is that you pushed a fucking lacrima into my chest that nearly killed me and you were expelled.  Am I missing something?”

Ivan seethed.  “I did what I had to do to make you stronger! And look at you now!”

“It was fucked up,” Laxus said in a flat tone.

“Enough of this!” Ivan yelled.  “Join me, Laxus.  For all these years, I have saved a spot for you alongside me.  With the power of Fairy Tail, we can bring your mother back to us.  We can finally be the family we were meant to be.”

“You’re delusional,” Laxus spat back.  “Mom is dead.”

Ivan laughed before taking a small glass tube with a paper doll inside of it out of his cloak.  “But she’s not.  I transformed her before she passed.  With Fairy Tail’s power, we can have her back and no one will ever be able to defeat us.  We will be invincible!”

“You did what?” Laxus saw red.  “You turned my mother, your wife, into a paper doll?  You prevented her peaceful passing into the next world?” Laxus couldn’t believe what he was hearing.  “You defile her memory!”

Laxus was distraught. If Ivan was telling the truth, and that bit of paper truly was his mother transformed, what was he supposed to do? Was this just some lie to make him join up with Raven Tail?

. . .

It had taken Erigor the better part of thirty minutes to scour the Guidhall in search of this power. If Ivan was to be believed, and this—thing—had as much magical energy as he claimed, then Erigor should have been able to feel its magic energy, but he couldn’t.

The basement was the last place he needed to look.  Descending the steps, he noticed a curtain on the opposite side of the room, pulled wide across one of the walls. “Strange.” He walked up to it and pulling it back, he found a solid metal door.  Pushing it open, he found himself walking down stone steps that spiraled ever deeper into the earth.  Finally, he arrived at the bottom, in front of two more large metal doors.

Opening them, he passed into another chamber with intricate doors blocking his path.  He smiled, realizing that if he could find a way past the protections in this room, to whatever was on the other side, he would finally gain his rightful place by Ivan’s side.

. . .

The more Lucy concentrated, the more she was able to understand what was truly happening. Despite what everyone around her believed, Laxus wasn’t being beaten, or even hurt.  The entire thing was an illusion and she was starting to be able to see through it, or at least, she was able to see where her Mate truly was on the field.

Feelings of confusion and doubt flooded to her from her Mate and she turned to look at his true form in the center of the arena.  Still new at the mechanics, she did her best to respond with reassurance and confidence. She believed in Laxus to do the right thing and she conveyed that through their connection.

. . .

Laxus felt Lucy’s confidence in him come through their bond and it cleared his mind.  “I’m sorry, but Fairy Tail is my family.  I won’t leave them.”

“Fine! If you won’t come of your own free will, we’ll just have to take you by force!” The other members of Raven Tail appeared around him and Ivan summoned a multitude of shikigami dolls while Laxus was distracted.  He pummeled his son with the paper dolls, surrounding him on all sides. “Quick, do it now, Obra! Drain his magic!”

Laxus watched as the puppet man raised his arms above his head but before he had the chance to cast his spell, Laxus broke free of the paper dolls and put enough electricity into Obra to knock him out cold.  “You ever think about casting a spell like that again on my Mate and I swear I will kill you without a second thought,” Laxus yelled.

Flare laughed as she saw her chance to catch the blond slayer off guard.  “Got you!” she shouted as her hair wrapped around his wrist.

Laxus narrowed his eyes before turning his attention to the other person who had hurt his Mate.  He didn’t even think about it before letting out a powerful roar that disintegrated her extended hair away from his wrist and sent her screaming in pain across the sand.

The last of the Raven Tail Guildmembers tried to put on a pathetic effort and Laxus dealt with them easily.  As Ivan tried in vane to defeat his own son, Laxus sent enough electricity in him to briefly paralyze him.  “Laxus, please,” his father managed to say.  “You don’t understand.  I did this for you! Look how strong you are now!”

Laxus walked up to his father and pulled the little glass bottle from his cloak.  “No!” Ivan yelled as Laxus held it over his head.

“Then you’ll understand that I’m doing this for you,” he said as he smashed the bottle to pieces.

. . .

Erigor’s eyes widened as he watched the intricate doors open.  He was thankful that he had studied rune magic, for it always was useful for covert missions.  For a brief moment he was blinded by a bright light but his eyes adjusted and he looked upon what his father had been after for decades.

His features twisted in confusion.  “A girl trapped in crystal?”  He didn’t quite understand how this was to be some great power.  “Does father realize that this is what he’s been looking for all these years?”

Erigor tried to wrack his brain for answers.  “Perhaps he was mistaken.  Perhaps this is just a tomb and rumors spread, making him believe it was something more.”  The weather mage paced the floor, not knowing what to do.  “There is no way that I can transport this back to our Guild.”  He yelled in frustration.  He had finally uncovered what was sure to garner favor with his father and the whole thing turned out to be some mistake.

He clenched his fists in frustration before pulling his l-phone out and snapping a few pictures. At least he would be able to prove to Ivan what he had seen so his father knew he had succeeded.

. . .

Lucy watched as the true Mate looked to be fighting in the ring.  His movements were effortless and skilled and she marveled at how strong he looked.  She wasn’t worried about him, she could feel his strength through their connection and she knew he had sorted through whatever it was that had hung him up previously.

“Lucy!” Natsu pulled on her arm, drawing her attention away from the true to the false momentarily. “Can you believe this? Laxus is losing!”

“But he’s not, Natsu!” Lucy said, watching the false form of her Mate take a continuous beating from the metal fists of his opponent.

“How can you say he’s not? You’re his Mate! Can’t you see what is happening? Aren’t you worried?” Natsu all but whined.

“I’ll explain later,” but as the words left her lips, waves of sadness poured into her soul from her Mate and she watched as the illusion disappeared, her Mate and his father standing in the middle of the arena, tears streaming down their eyes.

. . .

The rest of the Guild wanted to celebrate their Master’s victory over the Raven Tail Guild with barrels of alcohol.  And while Laxus did his best to put on a happy face for a little while, after about twenty minutes, he excused himself, claiming exhaustion, and he and Lucy headed up to their room.

“What’s wrong?” Lucy said instantly, falling into his arms as he closed the door.  He wrapped his strong form around his Mate, drawing strength from her and her concern for him.

When they broke their embrace, he sat heavily on the bed, Lucy curling up next to him.  “I—“ he hesitated.  He didn’t know just how to put what had happened into words.  “I saw my mother.”

“What?” Lucy said in shock.

“She appeared, to me and to my father, in the arena.  He had—“ tears began to stream down his face again and Lucy comforted him.  “Ivan had trapped her soul in a paper doll for the past twenty three years.  She—when I—ripped the paper, she appeared to us.”

Lucy didn’t know quite how to comprehend what Laxus was telling her and she didn’t want to push him in his distraught state.  “Just, tell me what you can.”

“I thought he was lying. I didn’t know he was serious.  But she—“ he wasn’t finding the words he needed.

“What did she say to you?” Lucy asked softly.

“She said she loved us both. And that she was finally able to pass on to the next plane.”

Lucy hugged her Mate, trying to send as much comfort to him as possible.  When the illusion had cleared, the entire crowd was stunned as Laxus had clearly beaten not just one but the entire Raven Tail Guild.  That was when Lahar, seeing Alexi’s face revealed, recognized who he was and had him arrested.  From what Laxus was telling her, he lived through losing both parents within the same hour.

“But it seems like she’s going to finally be at peace, which is a good thing,” Lucy encouraged.

Laxus nodded.  “I know.  I just—the shock of it, you know?” Lucy nodded her head in understanding, holding her Mate close to her.  Laxus’ tears began to dry as he wrapped his arms around his own Mate. “She made me promise to help him through his grief.”

“We’ll help any way we can,” Lucy responded.

“Yeah,” Laxus nodded. “We’ll figure something out.”


	50. Four

 

“Day four of the Grand Magic Games!” the loud speaker blared.  “In just a moment, today’s competition will begin! The name of it? Naval Battle! Any person who leaves the sphere is out.  The last person to remain is the winner!”

The crowd cheered as the announcer named off the contestants.  Laxus tightened his grip on the handrail as he watched Lucy dive into the water effortlessly.  He knew his Mate was angry about her original loss and felt like she needed to redeem herself some way, despite him trying to convince her otherwise.

“What a gorgeous tapestry we have before us!” the announcer said with a bit too much interest.

Lucy looked at the contestants before her.  Cheria from Lamia Scale, Jenny from Blue Pegasus, Risley from Mermaid Heel, Juia and—Lucy startled as she met Minerva from Saber Tooth’s eyes.  The woman was looking right at her with a wicked smile on her face.

Lucy tried to steel her nerves as she looked away from the woman, still feeling her eyes on her, though. Her plan was simple, as soon as the gong sounded, she was going to summon Aquarius.  She’d be surprised if anyone could withstand the mermaid’s wrath.  _“Right now, I just need to focus on the battle and not let my nerves get to me.”_

. . .

Minerva looked into the stands for her Master as the contestants were being called.  This was the battle she was finally waiting for. She was finally going to prove to Cobra that his precious Lucy wasn’t as powerful as his Licorice.  _“It’s been so long since Master has called me by my pet name,”_ she lamented before chiding herself for getting distracted.

Looking up into the stands, she noticed maroon hair and a bright white coat high in the bleachers sitting next to a man that looked eerily familiar.  Minerva’s mood lifted at seeing her Master before she looked to his right to see a golden brunette hanging off his arm.  Her mood crashed as rage filled her head.

_“I thought I was just dreaming.  Did Cobra truly take a Mate?  No—it can’t be.  I have to stay focused.  Destroying Lucy is the only thing that matters right now.  And if beating her in the ring isn’t enough, I’ll do one better. I’ll put her down for good. Master will have no choice but to accept me as the better match then.”_

Her logic continued to spiral downhill.  When the announcer called her name, she dove into the water with purpose, her vision focused on her only true target of the battle.

. . .

“What news do you have to report to me?” Acnologia asked of the maroon haired man as he and his Mate made their way towards him in the high bleachers.  As with the other days, no one ventured up this far when there were better seats available down below, so the pair had the ability to speak freely.

“Mickey here has been most amazing,” Cobra said with a smile as his Mate sat down exceedingly close to him.

Acnologia rolled his eyes. “I trust your Mate understands discretion?”

“No sweat,” Cobra said, wrapping his arm around the smaller woman.  “Besides, she’s the one with all the awesome intel on the princess, afterall.”

“News, then,” the white haired man demanded.

“Right.  So Mickey here said she overheard the princess speaking with her head guard.  The Gate is almost at full power.  Apparently it’s been absorbing magical residue and signatures left from all of the fighting through the Games.  After tomorrow’s finale, the thing will be ready to open,” Cobra explained.  Mickey nodded her head in agreement before resting it on her Mate’s shoulder.

Acnologia grimaced as he watched the pair behave like school children in love.  “Good.  I don’t believe there will be any further need for intelligence after tomorrow,” Acnologia informed Cobra.

Cobra narrowed his eyes. “What do you have planned anyways?”

Acnologia didn’t take his eyes off the water battle waging before him.  “One of your best attributes was your lack of interest in the affairs of others.  I’d suggest you keep it that way.”

Cobra chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck nervously.  “You don’t have to tell me twice.  Well, is there anything else you want to know?”

Acnologia considered the fight waging before him.  “Just one last thing, what can you tell me about the lightning slayer?”

For the first time, Cobra looked at the battle going on in the center of the stadium and realized Lucy was participating and so was Minerva.  “You mean Laxus?” Cobra clarified.  “He’s crazy strong.  Second generation slayer so he’s got a lacrima inside of him that gives him his power.”

“Yes, Electrum’s soul. Tell me something I don't know about him.”

Cobra thought for a second. “Well, from what I’ve heard, Lucy Heartfilia is now his Mate.”

“Is that so?” That intrigued Acnologia.  He had sensed the initial bond between the two back when he fought Electrum’s host those months ago.  But if they had sealed the bond, then that would mean the lightning slayer would be that much more powerful.

Cobra nodded his head. “Yeah.  And the other thing I heard is that he got someone to open his third origin.  That’s why he’s so strong now.”

Acnologia’s eyebrow lifted at that news.  “He was able to withstand opening his third origin?”

Cobra shrugged. “That’s what I’ve heard at least. Unfortunately, I’ve got no way to really verify that information.”

The white-haired mage nodded.  “His Mate, she was your Conquest originally, was she not?”

“She was your _what_?” Mickey immediately asked with an attitude and Acnologia laughed slightly.  Clearly the man did not know how to handle his women.

Cobra shifted uncomfortably. “Yeah.  I guess you could say that.”

“You allowed the lightning slayer to take her from you?”

“Erik!” Mickey huffed, pulling on his sleeve.

“I let her go,” Cobra responded immediately, trying to soothe his current Mate.

Acnologia’s eyebrow arched at the man’s lie but he stayed silent, merely nodding his head.  “She’s a celestial wizard, yes?”

“That’s right,” Cobra responded, clearly wanting to get off the topic.

“Plus she’s a bitch,” Mickey added.

Acnologia actually chuckled. “The world continues to move but the one thing that never changes is the jealousy of women.”

Mickey tsked and Cobra finally said, “Well, if there’s nothing else.”

Acnologia reached under his cloak and placed a pouch of jewel into the poison slayer’s hands. Cobra quickly tucked the money into his own pocket before standing and ushering Mickey towards the exit. 

“Say hello to Rancidus for me,” Acnologia called after him.  “It’s a shame he cannot join us for tomorrow evening’s festivities.”

Cobra narrowed his eyes. “Uh, sure, will do,”he quickly responded before hurrying Mickey down the stairs.  Turning to his Mate as they reached the platform he stopped her, pushing her into the cold stone of the wall before pressing his lips onto hers. His hands roamed her body as his lips moved against hers and she responded to his attentions with beautiful moans.  Finally he withdrew, the both of them gulping down air.  “Let’s leave this place,” Cobra finally said.  “Run far away.  We’ve got a ton of jewel now and I don’t want to be around for when the Games end.”

Mickey furrowed her brow. “But what about my job at the castle?”

“Fuck that job,” Cobra responded immediately.  “You’re no one’s servant.  You’re my Mate and I’ll take care of you.  Tell me you’ll go baby.  We can run away to an island somewhere and live life in the surf away from all of this.”

Mickey jumped, straddling Cobra as his hands came up to catch her.  She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him before finally pulling back to say, “Take me wherever baby.  I’ll go with you.”

A grin broke out onto Cobra’s face as he pushed his Mate back up against the wall.  “I fucking love you, babe,” he said between heated kisses and his Mate responded with moans.  “I need you,” he said against her neck.

“Here?” she asked absentmindedly, too caught up in what the man was currently doing to her.

“Yes,” Cobra responded, his acute hearing letting him know that there was no one around for at least five floors below their current location.

“Okay,” she responded breathlessly.  Cobra didn’t waste time, pushing her shirt up to expose her breasts, he dove in, caressing one with his tongue as his hand tortured the other.  “Fuck,” Mickey moaned as Cobra grazed his teeth against one peak.

His lips left her beautiful chest as he encouraged her to stand on her own power.  Kneeling in front of her, he lifted her skirt and pushed her panties aside as his tongue dove into her depths.  She keened, her head pushing back into the stone wall as her eyes closed.  He watched his Mate standing above him in delight as she brought her hands up to touch her own breasts, never one to be shy about her pleasure.

Cobra continued to lick his Mate, sucking on her lower lips and delighting in the taste.  “Fuck, Erik,” she groaned as his mouth began to suck on her sensitive pearl.  His fingers danced along her inner thigh before finally entering her and she screamed his name.  Cobra smirked as he realized the people in the stairwell below them could probably guess what was going on up above.  But he didn’t care.  His Mate was beautiful and not fucking her every chance he got was a crime.

He stood up and she whimpered at the loss of contact.  “Right here, baby,” he said, directing her to bend over and brace herself against the stairs. She did as he desired and Cobra was quick to finally release his manhood, which ached for his Mate’s cunt. He entered her swiftly, her tits bouncing beautifully as he filled her.  He set a fast pace as his hands roamed first her back before moving down to caress her ass.

“Yes, Erik!” Mickey screamed as his pace increased, his cock entering and exiting her with purpose.

“Come for me, love,” he said against her ear, leaning forward.

“Fuck, yes, Erik!” Mickey cried as she felt waves of pleasure wash through her body at her Mate’s desires.  The feeling of his Mate coming was too much and Cobra followed her over the edge, pushing himself as deep inside her tight body as possible as he spilled his seed inside her.

The two panted their release before he finally let her go.  She righted her panties as he fixed his own pants but Cobra was quick to move his callused hands across her tits before she had the chance to pull her shirt down, causing her to moan again.  He pressed his lips against her and she smiled as he pulled away. “I love tasting myself on your lips.”

Cobra shivered at his Mate’s filthy words.  “God, you’re perfect,” he said, pulling her into another long kiss, invading her mouth with his tongue before reluctantly pulling her shirt over her beautiful chest.

“Take me to that island, baby,” she said with heated breath.  “I want to fuck in the surf under the sun.”

Cobra grinned.  “Well come on then,” he said as he pulled her down the stairs and away from the stadium by the hand.

. . .

“I wonder which one of them is stronger,” Laxus overheard Levy say as he watched his Mate fighting in the water sphere.

“Do your best!” Mira said just in front of him.  Laxus tried to look passive, his arms crossed in front of him with his signature coat hanging on his shoulders but inside he was nervous for Lucy.  He knew she was strong but she doubted her own abilities so much.  He knew she really needed this win to prove to herself just how much she’d grown.

“The way you cheer is a pain,” Gajeel said in an annoyed voice.  Laxus had to agree with his fellow dragonslayer.

“Well, who do you think is going to win then?” Cana asked.

Gajeel turned to look at the battle.  “That question isn’t even worth asking.  You put Juvia in the water and there’s no way she’ll lose.”

Laxus eyebrow ticked. He hated hearing his Guildmates underestimate Lucy.  He understood why she had such a low opinion of herself now if this is the sort of talk she was constantly surrounded by.  The crowd gasped as Aquarius and Juvia started battling head on.

The two seemed evenly matched until Laxus watched in horror as Lucy’s spirit decided to go back to the spirit realm, but his Mate was quick on her feet, summoning two more spirits before she was hit with Juvia’s water canon.

 _“She’s gotten so much stronger—being able to summon multiple zodiac spirits at the same time,”_ he thought to himself.  No one truly understood just how difficult that was.

The crowd cheered again when Juvia eliminated all opponents except for Lucy and Minerva in one move. Lucy watched her Guildmate get distracted as she tried to get Gray’s attention.  “Juvia!” Lucy yelled as she watched the water mage fall out of the sphere, so caught up in her infatuation with the ice mage.

“That idiot,” Laxus heard Gajeel huff as the rest of his team chuckled in disbelief at the girl’s childish behavior.

“Only Lucy and Minerva are left,” the announcer said.  “Lucy’s celestial spirits have gone home for now, to avoid depleting her strength and celestial magic, most likely. Alright, who’s going to win, Fairy Tail or Saber Tooth?”

The crowd cheered and Laxus could feel his Mate’s nerves start to flutter at being one of the last opponents in the battle.  He tried to push his reassurance and confidence in her abilities through the bond and smiled faintly as he could feel her nerves start to ease.

 _“Finally,”_ Minerva thought.  _“I couldn’t have planned this better myself.  With my Master looking on from up above, I will do away with this bitch once and for all. After today, he won’t be able to deny that I’m the strongest and best fit to be his Mate!”_

“With my magic, I could have you out of this sphere in an instant,” she taunted at the blonde bimbo. “But where would the fun be in that? Try and withstand this,” she said, holding her hand up.

An area next to Lucy began to glow.  “What’s that?” Lucy said aloud but before she even had the chance to counter, incredible pain lanced through her body.

Laxus felt his Mate’s pain before he heard her scream.  “Lucy!”

“What was that?” he heard Natsu say and even Laxus didn’t have an answer.  Laxus watched helplessly as Lucy continued to writhe in pain before the attack finally subsided.  He watched as Lucy reached for her keys and saw her panic as Minerva held them up in front of her.

“Looking for these?” Minerva taunted before throwing them outside the water sphere.  Lucy tried desperately to go after them but it was too late, they had already fallen to the ground, out of her reach.  “Just give up now!” Minerva laughed before throwing another attack at Lucy.

Laxus grimaced, feeling his Mate’s pain through the bond along with her growing sense of despair.

 _“Lucy,”_ he tried to communicate to her.  _“You can do this!”_   The thoughts were simple but he put all the feelings of trust and admiration behind them.

“I refuse to give up!” he heard Lucy shout at Minerva’s taunting.

“Then you will die,” Minerva said with a maniacal look in her eye.  She threw attack after attack at Lucy as the girl screamed.

Laxus watched, feeling increasingly helpless until suddenly, a bright light appeared next to him and he turned to see Loke standing by his side.  “Loke, what are you doing here?” Laxus asked in disbelief.

The man pulled his glasses off his face to wipe them down methodically.  “As much as I hate to admit it, I felt your distress and answered. You’re welcome.”

“Isn’t there something you can do?” Laxus motioned to inside the sphere where his Mate was continuing to suffer what looked like real injuries.  “Why has it taken you so long? Didn’t Virgo and the others tell you she was fighting?”

“We don’t just hang out in the same room constantly,” Loke sniffed.  “Anyways,” and with another flash of light, he disappeared from beside Laxus and reappeared in the sphere with Lucy.

“Hey Princess!” he shouted and Lucy cracked an eye open to see her spirit moving in behind Minerva.

“How did you--?” Lucy’s voice trailed off, her strength rapidly leaving her.

“You can thank me later. Come on, let’s roast this bitch,” he said as he his Minerva with a regulus punch from behind.

“How dare you?” Minerva yelled before turning around to face Loke.  “You pathetic girl.  Unable to beat me on your own strength.  I’ll show my Master just who the stronger mage is.”

“Your Master?” Lucy was trying to make sense of what was going on around her.  Laxus could sense his Mate failing and pushed renewed strength through their bond.  Lucy shook her head, suddenly feeling like she got second wind, pushing through the terrible exhaustion she was feeling.  “Okay, Loke! I’m right behind you.”

“That’s my girl!” he shouted as the two moved in on Minerva at the same time.  Unable to fight off both opponents Minerva attempted to swim away but Lucy was quick to grab her ankle with her whip, swinging her around the water.  With a final blast from her spirit, Minerva found herself crashing into the sand, out of the water.

The buzzer blared. “Ladies and gentlemen, the winner is Lucy of Fairy Tail!”

But Lucy couldn’t hear her name being called, her own strength failing and she felt herself falling from the sphere.  Loke was on it, cradling in his arms to break the harsh landing.  “Loke? How did you get here without my keys?”

Her lion chuckled. “You’ll have to thank your Mate for that one.  He was really worried about you.”

“Laxus,” Lucy breathed her Mate’s name before she finally lost consciousness from exhaustion.

Laxus was sprinting to the arena in an instant, taking his Mate from Loke’s arms.  Without warning, Loke turned, blocking Minerva who was sprinting towards them.  “I’ll kill you!” she yelled towards Lucy.

. . .

Minerva felt powder beneath her and groaned.  _“Powder?”_   She finally realized that it wasn’t powder, but sand running through her fingers.  _“But that means—“_   She glanced up to the stands, searching desperately for her Master.  But all she saw was one lone figure up in the high bleachers.

 _“He—he left?”_ Rage clouded her vision, all focused on the blonde girl currently being handed off to another blonde and she couldn’t take it anymore.  “You bitch!” she screamed, rushing forward.  “I’ll kill you!”

She lunged towards the unconscious blonde, the girl that had stolen everything from her but strong arms wrapped around her, holding her back.  She was exhausted from the battle and despite her best efforts, she couldn’t make it any further.  She watched as a large blonde man carried the subject of her anger away and out of her reach.

Tears pricked the corners of her eyes as she quietly beat her fists against her captor.  Members of her Guild rushed forward.  “My lady,” she heard a familiar voice say.  It was as if she was hearing the sound for the first time in so long.

“Who--?” Black hair moved into her vision and she looked into red eyes.  “Rogue?”

He nodded his head, gathering the mage in his arms.  He nodded his head at Loke.  “Thank you, we’ve got her from here.”

Loke tisked.  “You better get her under control.  She was screaming she wanted to kill Lucy.”

Sting rushed forward. “I promise, that’s not like our Mistress.  She’s been acting strangely lately.  We’ll take care of her.” 

Loke nodded.  “It seems like a lot of that’s been going around lately,” he said before disappearing with a shimmer of light.

. . .

“Laxus?” his name was on her lips as her eyes blinked open, adjusting to the bright light.

“Hey,” he said simply. She sat up quickly looking around before he added.  “Relax, your keys are right there,” he said, pointing to the nightstand.  Lucy fell back on the bed, the anxiety leaving her. “That was some fight,” her Mate said with a smile on his face.

“Did I really win it?” she asked, not sure if she believed her hazy memory.

Laxus leaned forward, kissing her forehead.  “You did. You were amazing.  Everyone is so proud of you.”

Lucy sighed.  “I guess this makes up for when I lost earlier.”

“Lucy,” Laxus said with a stern voice.  “You know that fight was rigged.”

Lucy twisted her lips. “I know, but—“

“Don’t do that,” Laxus chided gently.  “You’re amazing.  Everyone thinks so.  You’re the only one that doesn’t believe it.”

Lucy smiled. “Thanks,” she said simply.

Laxus shook his head confused.  “For what?”

“Just,” she looked into his eyes.  “For everything.”

Laxus laid down next to his Mate, pulling her into his arms.  “Rest now.  Tomorrow’s the finale.  I’m sure Fairy Tail will win.”

Lucy cuddled in close, loving the feel of his large body surrounding her.  “Are you competing?”

“Yeah,” Laxus said. “We’ll win it.  And then we’ll prove to everyone how strong Fairy Tail is.”

. . .

Acnologia watched the scene in front of him, paying close attention to Laxus as he rushed forward to care for his Mate.  “A worthy opponent indeed,” the man mused to himself.  “Tomorrow evening should be interesting.”


	51. Opponents

Lucy held her breath as she watched Laxus’ fist make contact with Jura’s jaw.  The entire arena fell silent as they looked at the image on the screen before them.  Jura went sailing across the cobblestones as Laxus stood tall, clearly the victor.

“Fuckin’ yeah, Boss man!” Bickslow was the first to shout when it finally became clear that the Lightning Dragonslayer had managed to take out the Wizard Saint.

He’d yelled it loud enough to break the silence across the arena and cheers went up around the stands at the spectacle.  Laxus flashed his cocky grin, the one that Lucy had trouble resisting since their first night together and the noise amongst the crowed grew even louder.

“Bet every girl would love to be in your shoes right now,” Cana said, wrapping an arm around Lucy. “Or your bed, more likely.”

“Cana!” Lucy exclaimed and her friend shot her a wink from the corner of her eye.

“Looks like your Mate and our Guild Master may have just landed himself a spot as a Wizard Saint,” the brunette said, looking at the screen.

Lucy couldn’t stop the smile spread across her face.  Laxus had been training so hard.  Representing Fairy Tail meant so much to him and he had finally accomplished that goal to its fullest.

Laxus’ battle with Jura was one of the last of the finale, and by the end of the hour, Fairy Tail had been declared the winner.  The entire arena cheered at the announcement as all of the members walked across the sand to accept the honor.

Several of the members already had bottles in their hands as they accepted their medals, no doubt a private stash that Cana had brought to the arena for just this moment.  The entire city of Crocus was in party mode from the finale of the Games, so much so that walking to the hotel was proving to be difficult.  Spectators and mages alike celebrated in the streets, dancing and cheering.  It was like nothing Lucy had ever seen.

The pair finally made their way to their hotel and were greeted by the cheers of some fellow guildmates who had managed to make it back before them.  Lucy looked into Laxus’ storm gray eyes and smiled as the man squeezed her tightly against him before climbing on top of one of the closest tables. She squeaked as he pulled her up to stand next to her and the crowd cheered as he leaned over, pulling her into a deep kiss.

When he broke their embrace, Lucy felt breathless and someone handed Laxus a beer, which he raised over his head triumphantly.  “To Fairy Tail! The best damn Guild in Fiore!” he yelled and everyone responded with shouts of their own before the merriment continued.

For once in his life, Laxus felt like he could finally relax.  His Mate was at his side and his Guild had just won the Grand Magic Games. There finally didn’t feel like there was anything left to worry about.  He sat down in one of the booths, pulling Lucy down with him.  He encouraged her to straddle his lap and she did as he let his large hands rest on her trim waist.

She placed her lips on his and the two breathed in each other’s essence, letting their lips move against one another sensually.  Lucy finally broke away first, her hands on his shoulders and her forehead resting against his.  “I’m so damn proud of you,” she said with heated breaths.

Laxus pulled pressed his lips to hers again before letting go and responding, “I couldn’t have done any of this without you. Thank you, Lucy.” 

A large bang startled both of them, breaking them out of their reverie.  What were cheers of celebration suddenly turned into screams of panic.  Lucy stood quickly followed by her Mate.  Laxus walked carefully towards the window to see what was going on outside, keeping Lucy a bit behind him out of instinct.  He could see through the glass that buildings were on fire, people were running every direction in the streets and—

He did a double take, not sure if he wanted to believe what he saw in the sky.  Multiple dragons flew overhead, their magic in various forms pouring out of their mouths as they attacked the city.  Fire, lava, ice, all of it destroying the beautiful capital.

“Laxus?” Lucy asked, looking concerned.  The blond turned around to look at his Mate, her brown eyes wide with worry.

“Everyone!” Laxus bellowed above the din.  “The city is under attack.  I’m going to do my best to teleport as many of you outside the limits as I can.  Children first,” Laxus said, gesturing for Asuka and her mother to step forward.  “In the meantime, no one is to go outside alone.  Everyone is to remain in groups of at least two.  Does everyone understand me?”

Sober nods throughout the guild members could be seen and with a small smile back to Lucy, he teleported the first group away from the scene.  Within thirty seconds he had returned and managed to get another group away from the scene.  But when he returned, the building where the rest of his Guild had just a few minutes ago been celebrating in, was burned to the ground.

“No! Lucy!” he cried, turning around, trying to find her scent but having trouble through all the smoke and ash.

“Laxus!” he heard her shout from a few meters off.  “Over here, take cover!”  Laxus dove in the direction of her voice just before another wave of attacks hit where he was standing.

“Where’s the rest of the Guild?” he asked, when he looked around to see only her crouching behind the remnants of a stone foundation.

“Right after you left with the second group, a wave of attacks started hitting the building. Everyone split in their own directions.”

“God damn it!” Laxus said with clenched fists.  “I told everyone to stick together.  And the first thing they do is split apart.”

“Yo, boss man.  That you?” Bickslow’s voice could be heard from the other side of the street.

“Don’t be an idiot, of course it’s him,” Evergreen’s voice carried louder than the Seith’s.

“Come on, now’s our chance,” Freed said as the team quickly ran across the open road to meet up with their leader.

“Glad to see you guys are safe,” Laxus breathed a sigh of relief.

Freed nodded. “Gajeel, Levy and Cana are together. Gray, Natsu and Erza formed a group too.”

“Good.  Thank you, Freed,” he added, knowing Freed took special care to see which way everyone went and in what groups, which could have put him in greater danger.

“So what’s the plan, boss man?” Bix asked.

“The plan is for you guys to get to safety while I figure out why there are so many fucking dragons in the sky,” Laxus responded.

“No way, Laxus,” Lucy immediately responded.  “There is absolutely no way that I am leaving you here by yourself to get killed while I run away.”

“I’m with cosplayer,” Bix added, as his babies chimed their agreement.

“I didn’t say that this was up for negotiation,” Laxus responded with a bit of agitation.  “It’s my responsibility as Guild Master to take care of you guys.  I'm not going to risk you getting hurt.”

“With all due respect, Laxus, each of us is making this choice ourselves.  And I hope I am not too bold in saying that I believe everyone here would request that you respect that choice,” Freed said.

Laxus growled under his breath, knowing he wasn’t going to win this fight.  “Fine.  Damn you guys are stubborn.”

Evergreen twisted her face. “Have you met us?”

“So, what’s the game plan, Freed?” Laxus asked, knowing the script mage likely already had something in the works.  “I’m pretty drained as it is right now.  So whatever plan you come up with is going to have to be without my ability to teleport for the next hour or so while I recover.”

Freed nodded his understanding.  “I’ve spotted six dragons in the sky.  Magic types appearing to be wind, lava, fire, ice, earth and water.  There’s an intense magical energy coming from the castle. I’m guessing the dragons’ sudden appearance has something to do with it,” Freed explained.  “We need to head towards the source.  I can keep us relatively protected from overhead attacks with my runes but I’ll have to write them as we walk so we’ll be vulnerable to physical attacks on the ground.  I’ll need you all to handle anything we encounter while I maintain our protections.”

“Everyone understand their rolls?” Laxus asked to nods in response.  “All right, then let’s move.”

It took the better part of an hour for the team to make it to the castle.  With the help of Bickslow’s totems, the team scaled the castle walls and took off running for the intense power they could all feel at such close range.  The castle halls twisted and turned, and they constantly found themselves bumping into guards and servants running in the opposite direction.

“It’s this way.  Come on!” Laxus gestured to the rest of his team as he located the right hallway.

The team stopped short as they came upon an area that opened up abruptly.  Before them was a large gate, standing wide open and pulsing magical energy.  The group watched in horror as another dragon slowly made its way through the gate, to the cheers of—

Acnologia.

There was no mistaking the long gray hair and ice blue eyes of the man that stood at the base of the gate. Internally, Laxus panicked, looking at his team and not knowing how to protect them from this new threat.

The large beast finally emerged from the gate with a crazed look in his eye.  It flew off, not noticing the group of mages below it, spewing a slime like substance from its mouth that burned anything unfortunate enough to land in its path.

Those ice blue eyes landed on Laxus and Lucy could feel her Mate’s nerves through their bond.  She linked her hand with his, which only encouraged the jeers of their onlooker.

“So sweet.  Trying to comfort him before he dies, is that it?” the man taunted.  “Come back for a second round, Laxus?  Needed to be taught another lesson, is that it?”

“Explain what’s going on here,” Laxus voice bellowed above the din of their surroundings.

“I would have thought you would know?” the man said with a smirk. He turned back to the gate and lifted his arms.  “A portal between worlds.  Each and every opponent I didn’t manage to slaughter back then has been tricked into coming here now.  So I can finish the job with _you_ and with them.”  The man sounded crazed.

Laxus turned inward, reaching out to his inner soul for guidance.  _“Do you know what he has done?”_

_“What he says is true.  He has used magical energy to open a portal between time.  The dragons coming through have been altered somehow. Likely the effects of the time travel. I recognize some of my friends. They would never attack innocent people like this.”_

_“Is there anything we can do to stop it?”_

_“The gate’s magical energy will run out eventually.  But who knows how long that will take.  The portal is being held open by Acnologia as a sort of conduit.  If you can defeat him, the gate should power down.”_

“Is that you, father?” Acnologia sneered.  “Trying to give advise to your new son, are you? How easily I was replaced, huh?”

_“Ignore his taunts,”_ Electrum responded to Laxus.  _“He will try and distract you.”_

_“I don’t know if I can do this,”_ Laxus admitted.  _“Last time, we barely escaped with our lives.”_

_“But this time, you are Mated and you have your team with you. Have faith in yourself as I do in you_ ,” Electrum said with confidence.

Laxus nodded his head and squeezed Lucy’s hand.  “Distract him when you can but from a distance.  And keep behind me.”  Lucy nodded her head in agreement, as did the rest of the team.

_“Remember what we’ve been training.  Pull his energy into your reserves.  Use your magic to change its polarity and attack with it.  It is the only thing strong enough to hurt him.”_

Laxus nodded.

“Play time’s over,” Acnologia spat as a mist surrounded him.  The team watched as the man transformed into the black dragon that had haunted their dreams for so long. 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slow update but hey, better late than never, right?! Coming down to the end of it all.  Love each and every one of you that has stayed with me here to the end! Things aren’t quite over yet though!
> 
> Xoxo
> 
> Mus


	52. Beginnings

**Beginnings**

. . .

_“I don’t know if I can do this,”_ Laxus admitted.  _“Last time, we barely escaped with our lives.”_

_“But this time, you are Mated and you have your team with you. Have faith in yourself as I do in you_ ,” Electrum said with confidence.

Laxus nodded his head and squeezed Lucy’s hand.  “Distract him when you can but from a distance.  And keep behind me.”  Lucy nodded her head in agreement, as did the rest of the team.

_“Remember what we’ve been training.  Pull his energy into your reserves.  Use your magic to change its polarity and attack with it.  It is the only thing strong enough to hurt him.”_

Laxus nodded.

“Play time’s over,” Acnologia spat as a mist surrounded him.  The team watched as the man transformed into the black dragon that had haunted their dreams for so long. 

. . .

Laxus looked on as the creature transformed in front of his eyes.  He gulped back his fear, deep down knowing what he had to do.

Acnologia wasted no time in attacking the group, hurling a blue tinged roar in their direction. Laxus stepped directly into its path and Lucy screamed as she saw her Mate take the entire force of the attack. “Laxus!” she yelled but was amazed when through the midst of the battle, she saw him glowing with electricity.

He moved his hands in circular motions for a few seconds before a beam of almost white light was being thrown at Acnologia, coming directly from Laxus.  The dragon screeched, causing everyone to cover their ears from the sound, as Laxus’ attack hit him squarely in the shoulder.  The area smoldered and Lucy looked on in awe at her Mate.

“Come on,” Bickslow yelled at the rest of the team.  “We need to try and destroy the Gate while the Boss is keeping him busy.”  Everyone quickly followed behind the Seith, trying to attack the Gate with their strongest moves, but nothing seemed to be working.

Acnologia watched what was happening from the corner of his eye.  _“NO!”_ he thought internally, before flying in their direction.

“Look out!” Laxus yelled as he tried to hit the big dragon with his own power.  But his attacks weren’t strong enough, his own lightning just bouncing off the giant’s wings as it continued to chase after his teammates.

_“I need to be more powerful,”_ Laxus directed at his internal soul.  _“This isn’t working. My team, my Mate, they’re at risk!”_

The lightning slayer managed to step in the way of one of the attacks and capture it, throwing it back at their aggressor before it landed on his teammates.  The dragon cried out again, falling back onto the floor with the force of the impact.  Laxus turned to face his team.  “Are you all okay?”  They nodded, everyone slightly out of breath.   “Freed, is there anything you can do to destroy the Gate?” Laxus asked.

“I need more time,” the rune mage responded.  “It’s protected somehow.  And I’m not sure how to break its seal.”

“It’s celestial magic,” Lucy said.  Another screech sounded around them and they looked over quickly at Acnologia to find him starting to get up from the last hit.

“Lucy work with Freed to try and break the seal.  I’m going to try and end this,” Laxus said.

_“How do I end this?”_ Laxus asked Electrum as he ran towards the beast.  _“At this rate, I will exhaust myself before I’m able to finish him.”_

_“There is one way,”_ Electrum responded.  _“But it has its dangers.”_

_“I don’t care,”_ Laxus said back.  _“At this rate we’ll all be dead if we don’t do something.”_

_“Your dragonforce.  All these years I’ve held it back.  Even when you tried to tap into it, I resisted.  Because there’s no guarantees you will return to your human form once you fully transform.”_

_“Are you saying I can transform into a dragon?”_ Laxus asked incredulously.

_“Yes,”_ Electrum responded.  _“Allow your power to flow through your body freely.  Open all of your circuits and let it consume you.  Just know that once you do this, there will be no way for me to bring you back. You will be on your own.”_

_“We have to try,”_ Laxus said, gritting his teeth.  He thought of Lucy before adding, _“I’ll find my way back.”_

Laxus allowed his magical circuits to open, the energy pulsing through his body.  He could hear the sounds around them start to fade as he felt more and more consumed by his dragon’s magic. 

_“My son.  I am proud of all that you have accomplished,”_ Electrum spoke to him.  _“You have a good heart and I believe you will find your way back.  Do not forget the things I have taught you. Now, complete the task I was unable to fulfill.  You must kill Acnologia!”_

“What’s that noise?” Evergreen shouted.  The group turned to where Laxus used to be and stood frozen, despite the danger of Acnologia beginning to head their way.  They watched as Laxus roared, lightning pouring out of his mouth and fingertips.  He began to transform before their eyes, his clothes tearing from his ever increasing size. The wind whipped around him as scales began to grow across his arms and legs before finally large wings sprouted from his back.

Within seconds, they were no longer staring at their leader, but at a golden dragon.  His scales were jagged, as if they were bolts of electricity and tiny bits of energy danced among their tips.  His claws scratched at the ground as his wings beat around him, each flap sending static through the air.

“Holy fuck,” Bickslow said in amazement.  “He turned into a fucking dragon.”

Lucy was on the floor. She could feel her Mate’s power through their bond but she couldn't reach him.  It felt like her heart was being torn out of her body.  “Quickly,” Freed said, reaching for the celestial mage. “We must dismantle the Gate while he keeps Acnologia occupied.”

Lucy did her best to stand, nodding her head in understanding.  The two made their way towards the structure and Lucy recognized the symbols on the door.  “They’re the zodiac symbols.”  Reaching for her keys, she used the last of her strength to call forth each of her zodiac spirits.  “Help him,” she said, pointing at Freed.

Each of the spirits put a palm to the Gate, pushing as much energy into the structure as they could as Freed went to work dismantling the protective runes.

_“KILL HIM! KILL HIM! KILL HIM!”_ The two dragons raged against one another as they fought in the sky.  Talons first, they tried to strike the other out of the air before hitting the other with a magical attack.

Acnologia landed an attack on him and the two fell through the sky, Laxus hitting the ground as the black dragon’s talons sunk into his body.  _“YOU WILL NOT WIN!”_ His thoughts were simplistic and full of rage in this form, but it kept his focus on his opponent.

Lucy saw her Mate go down from her place on the floor.  “LAXUS!” she screamed, pushing her feelings through their bond, trying to reach him.

The golden dragon released a roar of electricity, hitting Acnologia square in the face.  He fell off him and Laxus lunged, tearing at his flesh with his talons before finally lifting him into the air.  They climbed higher and higher, the air thinning around them before finally, Laxus hit him with one last charge and let go.

The beast plunged to the earth, his speed increasing as he fell.  He tried to turn himself around but he was moving too fast and his wings were paralyzed from the electricity coursing through his body.  As his magical energy began to deplete, he turned back into his human form, unable to maintain the form of a dragon any longer.

The team watched as the dragon that stole seven years of their lives fell to the floor, changing back into his human form during his descent before finally striking the ground. At the moment of his impact, Freed felt the protective runes of the Gate break, and he realized they must have been connected to the life force of Acnologia.

“Quickly now!” he said to the zodiacs as they began to push the rest of their power into the Gate to destroy it.

“Wait!” Lucy yelled, as she saw a little boy trying to push his way through from the other side.  She had very little strength left in her but she managed to crawl her way over to the Gate’s entrance.

“Lucy! We have to do this! Before any more dragons get loose!” Freed yelled.

“Come on!” Lucy said to the little white haired boy. 

“I’m scared! The dragons are attacking my home! I don’t know where my mom and dad are!” the little boy whimpered.

Lucy reached out her hand and he grasped it before she pulled him through to the other side. Through the Gate she could see a village burning, dragons flying overhead, a crazed look in their eyes as they torched the buildings in their attacks.  She cradled the little boy close to her chest as he cried, the Gate finally collapsing in front of them.

A roar sounded behind them and the team looked over to see Laxus still in his dragon form. 

“Boss man! You did it!” Bickslow yelled, hopping on his babies to fly over to the golden dragon. But before he was able to get close, the beast began to charge his electricity around him.  “Oh fuck!” Bickslow cursed.  “Guys, I think we have a problem,” he said, as he flew back to the group.

“Freed! Quickly!” Evergreen yelled.  The rune mage did his best to throw up a barrier just before a bolt of lightning was hurled their way. 

“I don’t have much strength left,” Freed said as he tried to keep the runes in place.

“Does he not know it’s us?” Evergreen asked.

“Doesn’t look like it,” Bickslow responded.

The rage hadn’t subsided for Laxus.  His thoughts were still a jumbled mess of “KILL!” 

Lucy stood.  She looked down at the little boy.  “Wait here, okay?”  He nodded his head.  With her remaining strength, Lucy walked beyond the runes towards her Mate.  The dragon turned his attention towards her and narrowed its eyes.  Suddenly, it started charging its roar again but before it had the chance to attack, Lucy spoke.  “LAXUS!” she yelled, pushing everything she had to try and reach him through their bond. She pushed through all the lust she felt when they had first met, the uncertainty she had felt when they continued to see each other, the heartache she had felt when he left Fairy Tail, and the love she felt for him when he finally returned for her.

The dragon faltered and she pushed as hard as she could through their bond, trying to reach him, until finally, something broke.  A wall, a barrier, something.  Her strength returned and she could feel his presence.  She smiled, running to him as she watched the large dragon transform back into the man she knew and loved.

. . .

He awoke the next day in a make shift infirmary.  Lucy’s beautiful eyes met his as he blinked them open, trying to adjust to the light. “What happened?” he asked as she moved closer to his side.

“Oh thank god,” Lucy exclaimed as he awoke.  “You did it Laxus.  You defeated Acnologia.”

“And the Gate? The rest of the dragons?”

 “The Gate was destroyed and the rest of the dragons dispersed.  We haven’t been hearing any reports of damage.  They must have gone into hiding or something,” Lucy said.

Laxus did his best to nod, his entire body telling him to lay still.  “Laxus, there’s something you should know.”  Lucy hesitated, a tear in her eye.  “Porlyusica did some sort of xray test on you when you came in to check your bones, but—“ tears were falling from her eyes at that point.  “But she said that your lacrima is gone.  It disintegrated somehow.  I don’t know what that means for your dragon soul.”

She didn’t have to tell him. Laxus felt it the moment he woke up. The loss of Electrum was immediate, it was likely why he had such trouble finding his way back to his human self. If it hadn’t been for Lucy calling out to him, he likely would have been completely lost.

“I’m so sorry,” Lucy said, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Laxus lifted a hand, swiping the little drops of water off her face.  “It’s okay, Lucy.  He knew what he was doing when he allowed me to change.  He needed to fix the problem he had created.  He was willing to die to make that happen.  That was his choice.”

Lucy nodded her head in understanding.  “Porlyusica says that you still have your dragon slaying magic.  She said that you’d had the lacrima in your system since you were a child, so the magic’s been able to grow and circulate all this time, especially with you opening your third origin.”

Laxus smiled, a bit relieved.  “That’s good.”

Lucy leaned over to kiss him and he responded, loving the feel of her lips against his.  Breaking the kiss, she climbed onto the little cot and rested her head against his chest, allowing him to hold her.  Being close to her like this, Laxus started to feel his strength rapidly returning.

After a few minutes, she sat up.  “There’s someone I want you to meet, Laxus.”

“Oh yeah?” he said, sitting up as well, stretching his arms over his head.

Lucy stood, walking to the other side of the room where a little boy was sitting with Porlyusica. He hopped off the chair, grasping Lucy’s hand firmly and followed closely to her, all but clinging to her leg. He approached Laxus gingerly, hiding a bit behind Lucy, but as they approached the big lightning slayer who was now sitting on the side of the cot, his legs on the ground.  Lucy knelt down and encouraged him to come forward.

Laxus looked into the little boy’s bright blue eyes that contrasted with his bright white hair.  “Hey little man.  I’m Laxus, what’s your name?” he asked.

The little boy bit his lip, looking at Lucy who smiled in encouragement.  “It’s okay,” she said gently.  “Go on.”

The boy looked up at Laxus before finally saying, “My name’s Akun.”

Laxus looked at his Mate with wide eyes.  She nodded. “Akun lost his family during a dragon battle.  I thought maybe he’d like to stay with us.”

The entire situation was so surreal.  Laxus looked into the eyes of the little boy; the little boy whom he had just defeated as a man.  But perhaps that was a different life.  Perhaps he could change if he had the love of a family.  “What do you say, Akun?  Wanna live with us?”

Akun looked nervously between the two Mates.  “I—um—yes, please,” he managed to eek out.

The trio startled as they heard shouting from around them.  “Outside, quick!”

Laxus leapt us, fearing another attack to run outside the infirmary.  Lucy followed closely behind, holding Akun’s hand the entire time.  The trio looked to the sky in time to see a beautiful, golden colored dragon with jagged scales like lightning bolts pass overhead.

“Electrum,” Laxus breathed out, somehow knowing that it was him.

“That dragon’s scary,” Akun said, hiding a bit more behind Lucy.

Laxus couldn’t help but smile before leaning down to pick up the small child.  “I actually know that dragon.”

Akun’s eyes widened. “You do?”

“Yep,” Laxus said. “He’s actually really nice and super cool.”

“Really?”

“Nothing to be afraid of,” Laxus said.  “Would you like to meet him?”

“Meet the dragon?” Akun said nervously.

“Yeah,” Laxus responded. “He’s a friend of mine.  I’m sure he’d love to meet you.”

 “Will you go with me?”

“Of course!” Laxus said, looking at Lucy who nodded.  “We’ll all go.  Whattya say?”

Akun smiled.  “Yeah! I wanna meet the dragon!”

Laxus turned to Lucy, handing the little boy off to her.  She smiled as he clung to her neck.  Lucy turned to her Mate who put his arm around her, hugging her close to him. “I love you,” he said to her before kissing the top of her head.  “We’ll make this little family work.”

Lucy leaned into her Mate as the three of them watched Electrum fly away through the clear blue sky.

END SWIPE RIGHT

. . .

**This is so bittersweet for me you guys! It’s been such a long haul with Swipe Right.  The first chapter of this story was published back in December of 2017! It’s taken me over a year to write this story and it’s taught me so much, as have you all!**

**Thank you for all your encouragement, love and support on this journey.  Each and every one of you means so much to me!**

**Don’t worry, no way I’m going to stop writing! This is just a jumping off point!**

**Xoxo**

**Musicera**


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